Of Citadels And Castles
by C. Mage
Summary: Mankind has reached a new Golden Age. They've reached the stars, become part of a galactic community, and shed all the problems and failings of their history to rise anew, all thanks to the mass relays and the technology they discovered. Problem is...sometimes history catches up.
1. Chapter 1

**Of Citadels And Castles, Part I: The Last One**

By C. Mage

There is no such thing as magic. That's the Rule and the Decree. It has been this way for almost two hundred years. The Paths are closed. The Ways are shut.

The Pact was made.

But like any declaration, there's always at least one person who just doesn't get the memo…

"Dr. Y'Kasia?"

An asari woman turned as she heard the name, stopping her brisk pace down the hallway. "Yes?"

The speaker, a human nurse, smiled. "Hello! I'm Patricia. I was hoping to talk with you before your next appointment."

Dr. Y'Kasia nodded. "Walk with me." As she continued down the hallway, she asked, "What is this about?"

"It's about your new patient. The human found three months ago?"

"Yes. I find his particular psychological state quite intriguing. His is such a complex psychosis." She opened a file on her omnitool. "Under normal conditions, when a person suffers from a complex delusional state, they possess a structured reality of their own, with its own belief system. However, no matter how complex their belief systems, probe them far enough, and they collapse. But this one…" Dr. Y'Kasia smiled. "The reports of his delusional state of this patient is unbelievably complex, and yet his belief system stands firm under the most intense scrutiny. In fact, the reason why I'm here is because the last doctor became…compromised. Dr. Tokogami began to accept some of what the patient has professed, and instead of bringing the patient back to reality, Dr. Tokogami has clearly been influenced into falling under the same psychosis."

"Will he be all right?"

"Dr. Tokogami is under observation, but he doesn't seem to have any tendencies towards hurting himself or others."

They stopped outside Cell 71. "Here we are. If you'll excuse me, Patricia, I need to examine my patient and assess proper treatment."

"Of course, Dr. Y'Kasia. It's an honor having you with us." She bowed, then continued on her way down the hallway.

Dr Y'Kasia entered the room, looking around at the padded walls, floor and ceiling. Around the room were written strange marks and sigils, and there was an intricate circle drawn in the floor, all in black. There was a figure in hospital scrubs, sitting in the corner, his arms hugging his torso. "Good morning. I'm Dr. Y'Kasia. Dr. Tokogami will no longer be your doctor; he has been reassigned, due to concerns about his workload. I hope you don't mind." The figure didn't answer as part of the wall slid out, forming a seat and desk. Dr. Y'Kasia sat down. "According to this, your name is…Machias Castle. It says here that you've mentioned that your friends call you 'Mac'. May I call you that?"

Finally, the figure in the corner moved, if only his jaw. "Call me whatever you want."

"I see you've been decorating your cell again. What are these?" Machias didn't answer. "These are quite intricate." Dr. Y'Kasia stood up, walking around the room, tracing her fingertips over the sigils. As she did, she was surprised to feel a slight tingling in the nerve endings of her fingertips. "What are these?"

"Trade secret."

"Ah…so this is a business that you're involved in?"

"Something like that."

She went back to the desk, typing notes into her omnitool. "Mr. Castle…"

"MARSHAL. I keep telling you people, but nobody listens. United States Marshal Machias Castle, Badge Number Forty-six."

"Marshal, I've looked up your records, but I can't find them. It would help your case if you could tell me how far back I should look."

"Why should I tell you? I told the other guy, but he didn't listen."

"According to what I see here, you said to look up your records in…1871 AD."

Machias stood up. He was tall, easily six feet tall, with shoulder-length, unwashed hair, a moustache and a beard. He was slim, but was clearly in good shape. "Yeah. He said there was nothing to find."

Dr. Y'Kasia looked at the notes, frowning slightly. "Marshal, I want us to have a good working, healing relationship. But that can only be achieved through the truth, and I want you to be able to rely on me."

"Nice talk…from a blue filly."

Dr. Y'Kasia stood up, the seat and desk moving back within the recesses of the cell. "I shall return later, but not too much later, if you do not mind. There is something I must discover."

"Go ahead. Not like I got a full dance card here."

"With all due respect…!" Dr. Y'Kasia began, but she was cut off as her administrator, Dr. Penn, held up a hand.

"Ever notice, Dr. Marisie, that whenever people say, 'with all due respect', the next words out of their mouths are invariably disrespectful?" Dr. Penn's aide nodded, a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Dr. Penn, when dealing with a delusional mind, the object is to use the truth to force those delusions to collapse under the weight of solid evidence. But Dr. Tokogame deliberately lied to this patient, undermining his treatment. The patient reported that no evidence of his existence was ever found, but I see nothing in Tokogami's notes here that suggests he made the inquiries in the first place."

"That's because the very idea is ridiculous. I don't know if you remember, Dr. Y'Kasia, but humans do not live for centuries. If what he said was true, then he would have to be at least three hundred years old."

"Regardless, we have no proof to refute his delusions until we actually look for the evidence."

"Very well…but it is my opinion…"

"Have you ever noticed, Dr. Marisie, that whenever people start with mentioning their own opinions, the next words out of their mouths are to suggest that the listeners should replace their own opinions with the speaker's?" Dr. Y'Kasia said blithely.

Dr. Penn cleared his throat. "…that your opinions are little more than a waste of your time."

"It's my time to waste, sir. Thank you for YOUR time." Dr. Y'Kasia turned and left Dr. Penn's office.

Dr. Penn massaged his temples. "Refresh my memory…why is she here again, other than a predilection for introducing new reasons for stress?"

"She volunteered after hearing about Patient 71. Dr. Tokogami may have contacted her."

Dr. Penn groaned. "I wonder what the asari equivalent is for the term, 'wild goosechase'?"

Dr. Y'Kasia stepped off the shuttle in front of the facility. Ever since the redesign in 2015, the U.S. Marshal Museum looked considerably different from the original architecture, from a small building set in the town of Laramie, Wyoming to the new, significantly more contemporary and much larger building in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Dr. Y'Kasai hoped that the Marshals' attention to authenticity also included records of their organization prior to the invention of the transistor, not to mention the invention of the "horseless carriage".

As her shuttle left, a man in a suit walked out of the building. "Dr. Y'Kasai?"

"Actually, it's Y'Kasia." She extended her hand with a kindly expression on her face.

The man coming out to greet her smiled in return, shaking her hand. "Sorry, not very good with names. I'm Marshal Donovan. I'm one of our resident archivists."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, trust me, the pleasure's all mine. You're the first asari ever to come to our museum. In fact, we were rather surprised by your inquiry." He gestured towards the front doors of the museum and they walked towards them. "How is it that you came to know about Marshal Castle?"

"One of my patients brought up his name during my treatment of him." A literal if not spiritual truth. "I'm hoping that learning more about this person, if he existed, to help understand his psychosis."

They went inside and he took her to an elevator. "How much do you know about the Marshals?"

"Only that you were a law enforcement organization three hundred years ago."

"Still are, although our role has diminished considerably. In its inception in 1789 AD, it was an enforcement arm of the federal court system. They served warrants for arrest, facilitated prisoner transport, and its most famous role, finding and apprehending fugitives from the law." Dr. Y'Kasia let him continue, since he was clearly enthusiastic about his own role as archivist and relished the opportunity to pass on knowledge of the Marshals' history to her. "The Marshals still exist today, although many of our duties have changed as the law changed."

The elevator stopped and they exited, Marshal Donovan leading her down the hall past walls of clear plexiglass that contained rooms with computer databanks humming within them. "Down here are the physical archives. These contain all paper records of cases, agents, court documents. There is a great deal that is considered quite fascinating…"

"And Marshal Castle?"

"Actually…I was hoping that you might be able to help us clear up something that's a little…odd."

"Odd?"

"I think it's better that I just show you."

They walked into a room behind two sets of security doors, moving into a warehouse holding airtight containers to preserve the age of the documents. "You must understand that what I'm about to tell you must be kept quiet. The only reason I'm telling you is due to the name you gave me is somehow at the heart of this mystery."

"Of course, but I don't understand what mystery you're referring to."

They continued walking until they reached a door on the other side of the room. This door was older in construction, being made of metal-bound wood and mounted on hinges instead of sliding to one side. As they approached, Dr. Y'Kasia blinked as she saw sigils burned into the wood, as well as a circular pattern inscribed on it.

The same pattern that was now decorating the floor of her patient's cell.

"Two months ago, this door just…appeared. Security had a field day with this, combing over the logs, trying to find out what happened and where it came from. It was all kept quiet, considering the mysterious nature and the fact that no one wanted to have to explain how a part of a building appeared as if by…"

"…magic." Y'Kasia said. That tingling in her fingertips was back.

He nodded, then opened the door, revealing crates and boxes, all of which looked old, but still in good condition. "I and three of the other archivists have gone through these as best we can. Not all the entries are in English, and what we're reading here is, well, impossible."

"What did you discover?"

"In 1811 AD, one of the founding members of the Marshals, Thomas Morris, penned a proviso for the Marshals service. In it, he stated that due to the existence of supernatural and unexplained forces in the western United States, that he had commissioned five people to create a division of the Marshals to act in the capacity to 'expound the law and dispense justice'." Donovan shook his head. "It gets even weirder from there. The records speak of these people given the means and legal powers not only to enforce the law, but to dispense justice and decide punishment. On their own! And these men and women were not sent after normal people. I have records of the arrest, apprehension and, in some cases, execution…of trolls, 'Fair Folk renegades', redcaps, demons, assorted monsters from fairy tales…and one DRAGON!"

"Have the blueprints for the building been consulted?"

"Yes." He sat down on one of the crates. "The building blueprints include the space for this room, even in the local pipes and sewer lines. It's not that the building had this space added on. It's as if this room had always been here, and we just couldn't see the door."

Dr. Y'Kasia was starting to feel a little lightheaded. "What records do you have for a Marshal Machias Castle?"

"Outside this room? Barely a thing, only a confirmation that someone under that name served as a Marshal for 17 years, and that he was reported missing in 1871 AD. Here, in this room…" He walked her over to a rough-hewn wooden desk with a box on it. Attached to the wooden box was a metal plate that read, "MACHIAS CASTLE, DATES OF SERVICE: FEB. 8, 1854 – SEP. 11, 1871." He opened the box to reveal stacks of papers and books inside. "Seventeen years of service, considered to be one of the greatest and most disciplined lawmen that ever served. Fought in several conflicts, many times single-handedly. Quick on the draw, but slow to dispense justice." Donovan's voice couldn't help but hold a modicum of pride. "If this is all to be believed, he was the best of us, and held our motto as his personal code. The world does not see the like often."

_Don't be too sure._ "I don't suppose among the wealth of information, there's an actual picture of him?"

"Yes, three. One made when he began his training, one when he took the Oath, and the third is one of him with his family."

"Family?"

"Wife and daughter. Here…" He reached into the box and pulled out three pictures, two in wooden frames, one mounted on thick cardboard. "This is him."

Dr. Y'Kasia took the photographs, hoping that these would, at least, prove that her patient was simply deluded about his identity. She saw her patient looking back at her from within each photo. "It's impossible…he must be a clone, or something else. A family resemblance, perhaps."

"Dr. Y'Kasia? Is something wrong?"

"Marshal Donovan, how much of this can be copied? I'd like to get as much of it as I can reproduced, show it to someone who might be able to shed some light on all this."

"Almost all of it, but it will take some time, and I'll need approval…"

"Do whatever it takes. I suddenly find myself with a great deal of time on my hands. If you don't mind, I'd like to continue looking."

"By all means. If you can help me come up with some answers, I know my supervisors will appreciate it."

"I'll speak to them now."

As Marshal Donovan left, Dr. Y'Kasia looked at the photos in front of her. The picture with the woman and child in it, he looked so happy. "If you were so happy then…what are you doing here _now?_"

Dr. Y'Kasia walked herself through the records, reconstructing the day-to-day operations of what these Marshals would normally deal with, especially this "magical arm" of the organization. It was incredible; the reports read like a cross between Louis L'amour and J.R.R. Tolkein. Showdowns at high noon with undead, ancient Mayan and Aztec spirits, rustlers that stole cattle for their blood, not their meat, it went on and on.

And none of it ever officially acknowledged by their parent organization. No wonder these people were given the powers of judge, jury and executioner...how in the world would any of these beings be prosecuted in any normal court? Dr. Y'Kasia shook her head, then looked up as the door opened.

Marshal Donovan walked in, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." He was carrying an old wooden box.

"Not at all. There's so much here, but I'm starting to get a better understanding of how events played out. It's completely unbelievable, and yet publicly-available records..." She stopped. "What do you have there?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Marshal Castle's personal effects." He put the box on the desk. "I've spoken to the Director, and the items inside have been examined and approved for release to you."

"Thank you. May I?"

"By all means. I'd like to see what's in there myself."

Dr. Y'Kasia opened the box, revealing a thick leather gunbelt, a Schofield .45 revolver, a four-shot "pepperbox" derringer, and two custom revolvers that looked like converted Colt Peacemakers, with extremely ornate and complex etchings all over the guns. A U.S. Marshal badge, made of a silvery metal. Five yellowed photos mounted on cardboard, A small book with a leather cover, bound with a leather strap. Another book, larger and thicker, with a stylized cross on the front. Four vials of different-colored liquids, stoppered with corks. A leather pouch with an undetermined amount of coins within. A worn dark brown cowboy hat, with a leather band with silver leaves around the crown, with the brand "Stetson" on the inner brim. Everything in the box looked old, but well-cared for, with very little damage. "Extraordinary..." She picked up the Schofield, turning it over in her hands. "Primitive projectile weapon, using a chemical reaction to provide propulsion. Our race had similar weapons before the use of mass effect weaponry became widespread."

"We had the guns tested. The Schofield works flawlessly, but the Colts don't work."

Dr. Y'Kasia touched one of the guns, then jerked her hand back as she felt a shock. "Ah!"

"What is it? Are you hurt?"

"No, just...there's some sort of static energy in some of these items. Take one of the Colts."

He nodded, picking up one of the guns. "I don't feel anything."

Dr. Y'Kasia frowned. "Must be me...was there anything else?"

"Yes. Apparently, there's still an account in this Marshal's name."

"What kind of account?"

"A bank account. According to this, since Marshal Castle disappeared, not died, his account is still active and was receiving payment into it until this part of the organization was dismissed...and even then, the funds have been gathering interest."

"How much does he have now?"

"The bank won't release information or access to the account to someone who doesn't have the right code phrase, but after a few hundred years of compound interest, it's likely he'll have at least enough to pay his medical bills."

"I would like permission to have the bank's contact information, as well as permission to bring these with me. I think seeing these items might shed some light on the issue."

Marshal Donovan nodded. "I'll talk to the Director immediately. A lot of people have heard about your research and the 'phantom door'. They're quite interested in the outcome of this mystery."

Dr. Y'Kasia picked up the badge. The cool metal fairly hummed in her hand. "As am I, Marshal. As am I."

"Marshal Castle?" The man in the white room in the white shirt and pants did not answer, simply looking up through the straggly hair over his eyes. Dr. Y'Kasia smiled as she came in further, carrying an old wooden box…and she was pleased to notice his eyes widening perceptibly, although the rest of his body language stayed neutral. "I must say," she added as the table and bench extended from the wall, "you certainly have a colorful history. One, I might add, that didn't exactly exist until quite recently."

He stayed silent as she opened the box. "I've heard a fascinating tale, one no one should believe, despite the overwhelming evidence." She took out a stack of files, opening them up. "Tell me about 'redcaps'."

"Nasty creatures." Dr. Y'Kasia turned with a hint of a smile as she listened to him talk. His tone was business-like, as if he was giving a lecture. "Fey creatures, like goblins, bloodthirsty. Run in packs. Called what they are by their habit of dipping their hats into the blood of the animals or people they've killed. Vulnerable to elemental attacks based on air or spirit energy."

"Vampires?"

"Four types, or 'courts'. White Courts feed off emotional states, life itself, and are the hardest to detect. Red Courts feed off blood, cover themselves with flesh masks to look like attractive human beings, superhumanly strong and fast, saliva contains a narcotic and addictive substance. Vulnerable to bladed weapons that cut open their masks and spill the blood they've taken. Black Courts are the easiest to find, since they look and smell dead. Strongest and most deadly as individuals, but few in number and most susceptible to sunlight, fire, garlic and objects of faith. Tend to surround themselves with thralls to do their bidding. Jade Courts are the most mysterious, call themselves the 'hengeyokai', translates to 'hungry dead'. VORACIOUS blood drinkers. Met one…and not eager to repeat the experience. Pretty much the only things we know about them is how secretive they are."

"Werewolves?"

"What kind? There's five or six different types, all from different origins."

Dr. Y'Kasia watched his eyes. "Marshal, after considerable discussion, I'm inclined to have your release approved."

"Why?"

"I don't think you're crazy. Different, beyond a doubt. But I don't believe you need treatment. You may need some help, however. Based upon what I've read, you've somehow managed to move three hundred years into your future and…"

"WAIT." His voice held such intensity, it stopped her explanation faster than if he'd shouted at the top of his lungs. "THREE HUNDRED YEARS?" he said hoarsely.

Dr. Y'Kasia held her breath. She'd been a psychiatrist for far too long not to recognize the onset of a possible psychotic break. He sat there, hunched over. She saw the look of realization on his face and paused, waiting a few moments. She knew more questions would come, but they had to be at his pace.

"Where am I…?" he asked hollowly.

"You're on the Citadel, a city in deep space." Dr. Y'Kasia had practiced what she would say to him on the trip back to the Citadel, knowing there would be terms unfamiliar to him. "A city among the stars."

"I…was on Earth."

"What is the last thing you remember before coming here?"

"I…there was a fight. A shaman. She was trying to move backwards in time, using chronomancy. Change the world's history so the Europeans would've destroyed themselves before expanding to the New World. I was sent to apprehend her. Almost as soon as I got there, we got dry-gulched."

"'Dry-gulched'?"

"Ambushed, bushwhacked. They knew I was coming. Had to fight my way to their camp. She was preparing a circle, but she'd made it wrong. If she'd completed the incantation, it would've blown a hole in space and time the size of the Texas Panhandle. So I was set in to stop it."

She blinked. "Only one man against a crisis like that?"

"Only one crisis. I fought my way through the goons she had guarding the place, tried to erase the circle. Something went bad, things got all twisty, and I just kept destroying what I could to keep things from going south…" He sighed. "Next thing I knew, I was here in this room and everything I had was gone except the clothes on my back, and those were torn nearly to shreds."

"Should we be concerned about your weapons? From what I understand, they are quite dangerous."

"Naw. You gotta be a Marshal and trained to use them, otherwise they're just paperweights. They won't even fire regular bullets…wait, you said I was in space? Out among the stars?"

"That's correct."

"Is there any way I could get home? I need to get back to Wyoming. I need to see it."

"I'm sure that could be arranged. There is one more matter that should be discussed. What do you know of your financial situation?"

He was silent, then said, "Dierdre took care of that…she was always good with numbers. God in Heaven, I only just saw her less than a week ago…!"

"Do you want to know what happened to her?"

"I…if you know."

"Records show that she never married again, after your disappearance in 1871. Your daughter grew up and married a good man…but records of them stopped after World War Two."

"World War TWO? There were two of them? Criminy, nobody learnt their lessons after the first one came along?" He shook his head. "What happened after I disappeared, the whole world suddenly go mad?"

"I'm not a historian, Marshal. I'm sorry."

Machias looked up at her, then sighed. "No, I'M the one who should be sorry, going off on you like that. Hail, I don't even know who you really are. I thought you were some kind of fey when you came in."

"I'm not a fey, Marchal. I'm an asari, from another planet, called Thessia."

"Alien…from another planet? Sounds like something out of Jules Verne…I'm gonna need to digest for a spell."

"Very well. However, there's still the matter of your finances. Do you remember how much money you have in the bank?"

"I figure I've got enough money to at least pay for my stay here. Last I checked, I had at least three hundred dollars ." Dr. Y'Kasia looked at him, then began to laugh. Machias looked at her and got a sneaky suspicion that wouldn't be enough.

"Marshal, you don't have three hundred dollars. First, your world converted to the credit standard when the Alliance joined the galactic community. Second, there's a term that I think should be made aware of…called 'compound interest'."

"You lost me about a mile back."

"Marshal, I have set up a link to your bank with your current account. As I understand it, the account is accessible to anyone, only they have to give a certain phrase to unlock the account, and if the correct phrase isn't given, the account is locked for thirty years." She looked up. "They didn't have identification methods that sophisticated at that time?"

"You'd be surprised how many ways there are to look like someone else."

"But since then, there could have been one of several ways to get into the account. Cosmetic surgery, someone in the bank that was corrupt…"

"Look, it was the best I could do at the time. Besides, I don't make the kind of money someone might covet."

"Time to find out. Once you're more properly attired, we're going to go to your financial institution."

"I feel stupid." Machias looked down at himself. "And these clothes bind me in weird ways."

Dr. Y'Kasia chuckled. "Your old clothes were damaged beyond repair and three centuries out of style."

"What about my gunbelt?"

"I don't think you should be expecting trouble, let alone causing it. People don't walk around armed to the teeth." She laughed. "You're lucky I let you wear the hat."

"'Taint right, walking around without one," he said stubbornly as they walked to the large building in front of them. "And where's my bank? All I can see is this eyesore here."

"That is your bank, although it's fair to call it a 'financial institution' now."

"I just got OUT of a goshdarned 'institution'."

"You'll feel better once we're done here."

_I'll feel better once I've got a proper pair of jeans._ He shuffled in, still feeling out of sorts. There was something off about this place. Not just the bank, but Earth itself. He'd been feeling squirrelly ever since they hit atmosphere.

They walked to a teller, who smiled as they came in. "Welcome to WF Intergalactic. How can I help you?"

Dr. Y'Kasia waited, then elbowed the distracted Machias. He cleared his throat. "Sorry…place has changed a mite since I was last here. Account's under the name Machias Jeremiah Castle."

"And you are?"

"Machias Castle…the Sixth."

She checked the computer, then blinked. "Excuse me…my terminal seems to be a little off. It says the account was created on May 9th, 1862."

"Sounds about right." Machias smiled.

She continued typing. Then she typed some more. Then she looked up. "Sir, may I ask you to come with me? I would like to bring my branch manager in on this. This is all rather peculiar."

"You ain't just whistling Dixie, miss."

Five minutes later, they were in a large office, with the branch manager having conferenced in the Division Manager. Five minutes after that, the CEO was added in as well. "Mr. Castle," the CEO, David Jenkins, said with a curious face, "you must understand how irregular this is. Under the terms of the contract made when the account was created, not even the balance can be accessed without the proper phrase. We're not even sure how to get that information verified."

Machias nodded, then said, "The bank still has safe-deposit boxes, correct?"

"Yes. Over the years, the contents have been shifted over and over, but the records are still intact."

"Look under the name and you'll see a safe-deposit box there, with instructions to open it only if someone comes to access the account. I'm authorizing you to open it now."

The teller tapped away, then she looked up in shock. "He's right. The records indicate that only a bank employee may access it."

"Bring it here immediately." As the teller left, the manager, Allen Willis by the name on his desk, said, "This is all very cloak-and-dagger for an account. May I ask why your ancestor went to such trouble to hide it?"

Machias smiled. "It's a mystery."

The teller came back with the box and opened it, revealing an envelope made of yellowing paper. She handed it to the branch manager, who opened it and looked inside. "There appears to be a phrase in here, with instructions to allow anyone who can recite the phrase correctly full access to the account." He looked up at Machias. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Begin."

Without hesitation, Machias said, "Here was a gorgeous triumph; they were missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account; tears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindnesses to these poor lost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being indulged: and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole town, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety was concerned. This was fine. It was worth being a pirate, after all."

Everyone else in the room stared at him. He looked around and said, the hint of a smile at the edges of his lips, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. Chapter fourteen, page ninety-one."

Mr. Willis looked at the paper again, then showed it to the teller and the CEO. He turned back to Machias with a smile. "Mr. Castle, it is my pleasure to inform you that, after so much time, the account is now open. Allow me to type in the code to access it." He began typing as the teller asked with a pleased expression, "Would you like some coffee?"

"Never said no to a good cup of coffee in my life," Machias grinned, then asked Mr. Willis, "So, how much do I have in the account? Enough to get some decent grub?"

The manager looked at the screen for a few moments, then looked out from behind the screen with the look of a man trying to close a sale. "MR. Castle, might I interest you in having one of our investment specialists join us?"

"Why?"

"Well, after interest, even with the conversion to credits, there is a rather large sum in here."

"How large are we talkin' about? Enough for me to get a house?"

"Sir, the balance of your account stands at 6,261,405,730 credits."

Machias' mouth dropped open, hit the floor, and started drilling for coal. "Come again?"

"After three centuries of compound interest, even after the conversion rate of thirty American dollars to one Galactic Credit, you are, if I may say so, quite wealthy."

Dr. Y'Kasia managed to get over her amazement faster than she expected. "With that kind of money, Machias, you could get your own space station."

Machias felt himself sweating slightly. "Okay…okay…okay. Look, just put it away for right now. I need to think."

"Of course. Feel free to use our waiting room while we bring your account up to current, and appropriate, security levels, then we can have one of our investment consultants bring you some suitable ideas on how to properly use your fortune." Mr. Willis began typing at his console as Dr. Y'Kasia helped Machias up, walking him outside to the waiting room.

As they sat down, Dr. Y'Kasia said, "Well, I would say this day turned out much better for you than…"

"This is a DISASTER."

The asari stopped. "Excuse me?"

"That's…too MUCH money."

"I don't understand. Think what you could do with those funds, start a business, Goddess, start your own company, live like an emperor for the rest of your life, travel the galaxy."

"No. Daddy always told me that having too much money is just as bad as not having enough money. On top of everything else, this is just too much. I'm going to have to worry about confidence men, people wanting me to buy things. Worse, I'm going to have to wonder if everyone's going to want to stick with me just because I've got money!" Machias bent over, covering his face with his hands.

Dr. Y'Kasia patted his shoulder. "Wouldn't it make things simpler to simply have the bank arrange a stipend, like an allowance, restricting the rest of your money so you simply don't _seem_ to have that much money?"

He looked up. "They can do that?"

Dr. Y'Kasia laughed gently. "I can see why you left control of the family finances to your wife…oh. Mac, I'm sorry, I didn't think…"

"It's all right. It's fine. It's just going to have to take some getting used to." He sighed. "Besides, I don't know what anything costs anymore. I may need the money after all." He considered a moment. "How much do you make?"

"About 110,000 credits per annum, why?"

"I want to hire you as my head shrinker, accountant and all-around guide to where and when I am. Double your salary, payable up front, plus all expenses."

Dr. Y'Kasia thought about it. "On two conditions."

"Name 'em."

"First, you tell me everything about the world of magic."

"White Council isn't going to like that, but under the circumstances, I do owe you a heap…very well, but you can't go blabbing to anyone about what I tell you."

"As if anyone would believe me. I do have my professional reputation to consider."

"And the second condition?"

"No matter what, our relationship remains professional," she said primly. "Nothing more."

"Oh, don't your fret about that. The thought of THAT never crossed my mind."

"Well, good," she said firmly, but a part of her wanted to scream at him, _And WHY would that never cross your mind?_ _Is it just because I was more mature than asari my age, pursuing a career instead of shaking my "assets" in some cheap bar?_

Fortunately, it was a small part, and it occurred to her that she might not be as mature as she thought she was.

"So, we got a deal?" Machias held out a hand.

"We have a deal." Dr. Y'Kasia shook the hand.

"Good, does that mean I get to find out what your first name is?"

"It's Megani."

"Does that mean you're gonna start calling me 'Mac' now?"

"I'll think about it."

"Anyone ever tell you you've got a little bit of an attitude when you finally let your hair down…so to speak?"

"Oh no," she said innocently. "Never."

"All right, smooth-talker, since you got yourself a new job, YOU can buy me lunch."

Machias and Megani found themselves in a large park, going through barbequed pork ribs and napkins like there was no tomorrow. As they finished, Megani wiped her mouth. "You were certainly hungry."

"Well, haven't eaten this good in three hundred years."

"Ha ha. What are you planning to do next?"

"Well, there's a problem."

"That didn't take long."

"Hush. What you have to understand is that magic comes from life itself. Everything that lives contributes to it. Water, air, earth, fire, spirit energy, all of that is just a shaped manifestation of that energy. And I can feel that so many things are alive here, that it's a surge of power and energy. More than I've ever felt before."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"No…" He looked around. "It's _too much._ Whenever other mages, sorcerers, wizards and fey use magic, it leaves ripples, echoes in the world. It's like fish that break the surface of a lake. But this…it's calm. No ripples at all. Nobody on Earth seems to be using magic. Nothing on Earth is using magic."

"Isn't there, well, someone you can call? What about this 'White Council' you mentioned earlier?"

"I've tried contacting them. And believe me, back in my day, they may have been hard to get to sometimes, but never this hard. I've also tried using the Sight to see if I can find anything, and there's nothing." He looked around. "Come with me, over to those trees."

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to have that kind of relationship," she said with a grin, but followed as he led her into the trees. "What are you going to do?"

"We're going to go into the Nevernever. It's a direct path to the Fey Realms. Someone in the Summer Court can tell me what's going on."

"What is the Nevernever?"

"A sort of alternate plane of existence. The space where the Fey Realms are." He concentrated, attempting to trace a circle in the air, expecting the air to shimmer as the doorway opened to the Nevernever itself…

…which wasn't opening.

Machias did it three times, growing more frustrated each time. Megani asked, "Are you sure you're doing it correctly?"

"I'm doing it the same way I've done it a thousand times before…just give me a minute while I try to figure this out."

Megani watched, curiously seem him gesture and draw sigils in the dirt. Finally, he sat back and groaned. "Anything?"

"Yes…I've determined, without question…"

"What?"

"…that I have no clue whatsoever what happened."

She sighed. "Then let's assess the result, if not the cause."

"The Ways and Paths to the Nevernever have been sealed off. Completely blocked. And that is supposed to be IMPOSSIBLE."

"Which means…?"

Machias looked seriously at Megani. "That there is only one magical creature anywhere on Earth, and you're lookin' at him."

"How is that possible?"

"It's not…it's like they abandoned ship." He looked around. "What in blazes would make them do that?"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Chapter 2

Of Citadels And Castles, Part II: Magical Mystery Tour

By C. Mage

"What are you going to do now?"  
"Get me a cup of Arbuckle's, first."  
"Arbuckle's?"  
"Coffee. One more all-fired thing to have to worry about, nobody unnerstands half of what I say..." Machias muttered, looking for the nearest coffee house. Megani followed, a little amused by the nature of Machias' frustration and how comical he looked, but chose not to show it.  
"Well, there is one bright side."  
"And that is?"  
"You can afford it."  
"Don't remind me."

Megani smiled at Machias' sour expression. "Feeling better, now that you have your coffee?"  
"Some. At least it ain't just black water. All the same, I figger we better cut a...well, leave soon."  
"Do you have a plan?"  
"No. Not yet. There's still too much I ain't sure about, and reading it from one of those flat screens isn't going to help me. I need to see it. I need to see more of what's going on in this new era. I need to see...what did they call Earth? Homeworld, that's it. These different races, they all got their own homeworlds, right?"  
"Correct."  
"Then that's where I want to go. I want to know what else is out there. First stop...your homeworld, Thessia."  
"Going to fly first class?"  
"What's 'first class'? Wait, let me guess. Costs more, more comfortable, better chow, softer chairs?" Machias shook his head. "That's a great way to attract the wrong kinds of attention. Anyhow, I don't know how to act rich. I'd stick out like a farm nag among racehorses, and it wasn't that long ago for me that the idea of riding in comfort was a train or a stagecoach. Regular travel's just fine."  
"I'll get our travel authorizations. Should give me time to tell you more about the asari race."  
He took a sip of coffee. "Yeah, that's not something I'm going to get used to anytime soon. A whole race of Angelicas? No men in the entire race?"  
"Some would consider that a sign of enlightenment." She smirked and walked to a terminal nearby to make arrangements.  
Machias nodded, going to a bench nearby. and sitting down, watching the people go by on the street, driving ground cars, taking the nearby tram. The streets were clean and smooth, the buildings practically shone as they rose above him, the people walking past seemed happy, or busy. _Maybe that's why everyone left...the world didn't need magic anymore, they figgered how to solve all their problems, stop using demons to get what they wanted or sealed them away. Hades' fire, they probably figured out some way of dealing with the Outsiders. Might explain why the Paths and Ways were closed off. Maybe it was the connection with our world that gave them their power, and by shutting them off, it weakened the Outsiders' connection..._ He frowned. ._..or maybe things got so desperate that they closed off the connections as some last-ditch effort to keep the Outsiders from reaching Earth..._  
That thought made him shudder. That would've hinted that the Fae Realms themselves had fallen...  
He was startled out of his thoughts by a tug on his shirt. He looked down to see a girl, no more than six years old, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "Mister?"  
One look at those tears and all thoughts of Outsiders were forgotten. "What's wrong?"  
"I can't find my mommy..." she sobbed. "My omnitool's not working and it's supposed to be linked to hers and I wanted to look at the butterflies and I got lost and I can't..."  
"Easy, honey, easy. I'm gonna help. You see this?" He took out his badge and showed it to her. "I'm a lawman. I'll help you find your mommy."  
She rubbed her eyes. "H-How?"  
Machias smiled. "MAGIC."  
Her eyes went wide, then she looked at him with a don't-give-me-that-five-year-old-stuff-I'm-SIX look. "I'm not dumb, I know biotics isn't really magic."  
"I'll prove it. Watch." He smiled, the reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper, then traced symbols into it. He then folded it up into a paper sculpture of a bird, then held it in front of her face. "Blow on it."  
She blinked, gave him a doubtful look, then blew on it. The sculpture was lifted off his hand by her breath...  
...and started to flap its wings, rising into the air instead of dropping to the ground.  
Her eyes went wide, and she looked to Machias. "What do we do?"  
Machias smiled. "Follow the bird."

"Her name's Jericha, she's only six, my omnitool's not functioning! I need to find her!"  
The policemen started making notes on his omnitool. "Could you describe her, miss?"  
"I've got a picture! Here!" She showed the officer an image of the two of them at the beach. "Please, you have to find her!  
"Miss, we'll do everything we can..."  
"MOMMEEEEEEEE!"  
She turned as Jericha ran to her, grabbing her legs and hugging her tightly. Her mother lifted her up, not sure whether to be angry or relieved, but picking relieved after only a second. "Where have you been, you made Mommy so worried...!"  
"I wanted to look at the butterflies, but I got lost, and then I met the magic man and he made a paper bird and it flew and I followed it and I found you!" She turned to look behind her to where Machias was standing. "He knows REAL magic, Mommy, not like the magician at Jenny's party!"  
"Darling, that's just silly..." Her voice stopped as Machias held out a hand, the paper bird flapping over to it and settling on it, then becoming inert. He walked over to the stunned adults and knelt down.  
"Mind your mother, little girl. Don't stray too far and remember, she loves you very, very much. It's how we found her so fast. Do you understand?" Jericha nodded. "Good girl." He stood up, meeting the eyes of the police officers. "Howdy, gents. Lovely day, isn't it?"  
"How'd you...uh, well, good work," one the the policemen said. "Wait, how'd you do that?"  
"It's a simple spell, powered by the emotional connection between mother and daughter, like magnets drawn towards each other."  
"A spell."  
Machias sighed. "Look, a family is reunited, no harm is done to anyone, isn't that the important part of this?"  
"Mac!"  
Machias turned as Megani came running towards them. "Howdy, Meg. I was just telling these officers..."  
"Mac, we've got a shuttle waiting, and we've got a long way to go," she urged.  
"Right. If you'll excuse me?" he said to the policemen, tipping his hat and letting Megani lead him away. "You know, we don't need to hurry that much…!"

"Mac, are you all right? You look like you're...well, drunk."

Machias considered. "Hmmmm….maybe it's the excess energy. I'm the only one using it, so it's possible that much power might be...yes, we should get off-planet, and quickly, until I figure out a way to mitigate this."

Megani pulled him to the shuttlepad. "Are you going to be okay when we leave? You didn't seem to be too well on the Citadel."

"Oh, yes, figured out what happened. Magic is like the atmosphere; it can only be sustained on a world capable of supporting life. So in space, unless you bring your magic with you, you suffer the same effects as leaving a planet without bringing something to store your air. So I brought my magic with me." He reached under his shirt, pulling out a glowing blue crystal. "This will provide me with the means to use magic in space, just in case."

"You sound like you're expecting trouble."

"I am. I'd rather be disappointed than caught unawares. Nobody ever got kilt by disappointment."

"Any other surprises I should know about?"

He nodded, putting a ring on his pointer finger on his right hand. "One of the things I discovered was that magic has a somewhat detrimental effect on a lot of the machines and technological stuff around here. Five times making those things malfunction was enough, and I reworked one of my magic rings to give me the ability to touch things around here without making them fail. I'd rather not strand the shuttle in orbit, or make our ship malfunction while on the way to Thessia."

Horrific images of such malfunctions happening in mass relay travel flitted through her mind briefly, and would likely be showing up in a nightmare or two later. "I appreciate your attention to detail," she said simply.

The shuttle landed in front of them and the door opened. "Tickets, please," said an asari wearing a crisp uniform, showing her as a member of the passenger ship Nebula Queen. Megani transmitted the boarding pass and ticket information from her omnitool. The asari smiled. "Your boarding passes are confirmed. Please step aboard; the Nebula Queen will be leaving orbit in one hour. Food and refreshments will be served once we are under way. We also have a wide array of entertainment options, with games, books and movies from Alliance, Asari and Turian filmmakers. Are there any questions?"

Machias shook his head.

The asari attendant smiled winningly. "We thank you for choosing to fly with Siriyn Starship Lines."

Machias looked outside, a little bewildered. The euphoria of Earth's magic overload was wearing off, and he was trying to comprehend what he was seeing. The Nebula Queen was a sleek asari design, looking like a cross between a fish and a spear head, colored in grayish-blue and blue colors. It was also bigger than any ship he'd ever seen. "Good God, how many people can you fit in that thing?"

Megani checked her omnitool. "The Nebula Queen can hold over four thousand guests, over fifteen hundred are First-Class. The ship also boasts a wealth of activities, for both active and relaxed lifestyles. It also boasts one of the largest swimming pools ever made for a cruise ship."

"Swimming pool? Like a man-made pond?"

"Asari-made, but yes."

Machias whistled. "Now that's something I have to see. What do people normally wear when they go swimming?"

"Swimsuits, why? What did you wear when you went swimming?"

"Well...nothing. Places I went swimming didn't exactly have a lot of people in attendance."

"Oh...well, they have stores where you can get clothing, so we'll add that to the list. Maybe we can find something replace that hat of yours."

"Heaven forbid. I may accept some a lot of the new...conventions when it comes to fashion, but there's no way I'm giving up my hat." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "THAT dog won't hunt."

Megani laughed a little to herself as they docked. _That is never going to get boring._

Machias' eyes were wide as he looked around at the interior of the main deck. The ceiling showed a perfect image of a blue sky with just enough clouds to make it interesting, simulating movement across the sky. "Well, I'll be dipped. You could fit the whole of Dodge City in here and have room left over!"

"If you want to take a look around, go ahead, but we should find our rooms. We can go get your swimsuit on the way." She pointed to the shops and vendors along the main concourse. "Maybe even something to eat?"

"Eat? Now that you mention it, I could use some chow."

"Follow me."

Megani enjoyed the sight of Machias being exposed to new experiences. It was clearly a constant wonder to him about how things worked now and she did take some personal pleasure in introducing him to new ways of doing things. Machias took an interest in asari cooking, although the new colors and tastes would clearly take some getting used to.

However, Machias ran into some "exposure" problems when he found out what men usually wore when swimming. "Great Caesar's GHOST, I might as well be nekkid! I would feel less exposed wearing a bandanna! Isn't there anything else I could wear?"

"Come on out of the dressing room, Mac. Remember, this is new to you, but the culture around you is used to these fashions. You're just from a more modest time, that's all."

"No. I am not coming out. My britches cover more than this!"

"MISTER Castle, you asked for my help to help you ease into modern life. This is one of those lessons."

"...must I?"

"Mac, it can't be THAT bad."

The screen opened and Machias stepped out, wearing a blue-and-black swimsuit that covered from his waist down to mid-thigh, but was rather close-fitting, revealing that being a Marshal clearly was not a sedentary lifestyle. She stared at him, not only for how he looked physically, but seeing several scars on his body. Clearly not a safe lifestyle, either. "Look at me," Machias said, embarrassed, "I go out there and everyone will be staring."

_Agreed, but not for the reasons _you're _worried about…_ "Look, Mac, if you don't feel comfortable going out now, the ship does simulate a day-night cycle. You can just go out when there's not as much light, and there will be fewer people..." _...to admire what has to be the tightest butt in three star systems...dammit, Megani, stop thinking about that!_

"You're right. I don't. I'll get what you laughably refer to as a 'suit', but I'm not going out in broad daylight looking like this." He closed the screen quickly. "Don't tell me the women wear things this skimpy…!"

"No. Usually they wear less."

"...God-a-MIGHTY."

Megani laughed. _Too easy._

They made it to their rooms without further incident, or embarrassment. Machias was surprised to see how large the rooms were. "I thought I asked you not to book us First Class."

"I didn't. These are the regular staterooms. The First Class ones are considerably bigger, with more features."

Machias looked at the bed, table, small desk and comm center, large-screen video monitor and bathroom with full tub, shower and vanity. "More than THIS? Standards sure have gone up since I last checked. What sort of features do they get?"

"As I understand it, the suites are more than six times the size."

"SIX?"

"Plus they come with kitchens, larger beds, personal hot tubs, couches and sofas…"

"...you're kidding."

"Serious as heart failure."

He sighed. "I don't know what bothers me more, that such things were possible...or that I'm feeling the pangs of envy while in the biggest stateroom I've ever been in."

"You CAN talk to one of the crew, see about upgrading…"

"No. I will not be swayed by comforts I do not need. I would rather be rich then ACT rich." The look on his face did betray a certain curiosity, though.

"Come along, you paragon of virtue, let's go to the fitness center. Maybe you can work off some of those frustrations there."

"All right. Just one question."

"What is it?"

"What is a 'fitness center'?"

They spent the next two weeks exploring the ship, with Machias catching up not only on history, but on Thessia itself. "So this stuff, this 'element zero', that's what makes the planet what it is?"

"Correct. It's in such abundance that it's even in the food and water."

"Hmmmm...I'd like to study this. From what I've read about this type of magic, 'biotics', it's born directly of contact with a living organism, but requires will to channel it." Machias shook his head. "I can hardly wait to get there. And the buildings you have, all curves and graceful lines. It's almost like fey architecture in the Nevernever…" His voice trailed off, a troubled look creasing his brow.

"You're still thinking about the barriers you mentioned?"

"It just doesn't make any sense!" He put the datapad down on the table, harder than he should have. "How could they have just LEFT? They didn't leave any traces there were ever there, not until I showed up. It's like…no, that's crazy."

"What's crazy?"

"...it's like they were children hiding in their bedrooms to protect themselves from monsters." He shook his head. "What time is it?"

She looked at her chronometer. "Early morning."

"I need a swim to clear my head." He got up and picked up his new swimsuit, a towel and a bathing robe.

"Need help finding the pool?" Megani asked with a smile.

"Don't worry. I think I'll have no trouble finding it."

Machias sighed. "How hard can it _be_ to find a large body of water on a SHIP?" he asked no one in particular. "I used to be pretty good with maps…maybe this will help." He found another map. "All right….go down this way, go up these stairs...no, move on, go up THESE stairs, then go down...TARNATION, these maps are as crooked as a Virginia fence…!"

As he was looking, he noticed something to the side. Two men and a woman, all carrying small bags, exiting the same room. He didn't think there was anything odd at first, until he realized they all left, quite casually, without saying a word to each other in parting, and went in different directions, the woman and one of the men one way, the other man the other way.

Curious. The swimming pool could wait.

As the couple walked towards the front of the ship, Mac cast a slight spell on himself, one he'd used many times before. The spell didn't make him invisible, per se. The effect was that eyes looking at him to ignore him, slide right over him without acknowledging he was there. As long as he didn't jump right out in front of them, he would be able to shadow . As he did, he remembered he wasn't packing his guns. _Probably a good thing. Too many passengers around to start a gunfight, and there's no way of knowing who might come to investigate._

Machias followed along, staying a nice, safe distance away, following them up towards the First-Class section. The motivations were becoming clearer. _Looks like advanced society hasn't managed to evolve past the urge people have to commit crimes. And even though they're likely not breaking any of the Laws of Magic...frustrating outlaws beats swimming any day of the week and twice on Sundays._

With that in mind, he continued to shadow them. Mac's method of following someone was to make it look like he was just travelling in the same direction. To make him look less threatening, he put on the bathing robe over his clothes and draped the towel over his neck.

After a long walk, they stopped at a door to one of the suites and Machias ducked to a nearby corner. The woman's omnitool activated, but the colors were a muted green instead of the usual orange-yellow color. Machias surveyed them carefully. _Not the usual contraption...which means special equipment for this job. That makes them skilled professionals. And skilled professionals have _plans…

"Tayna, got the lock decoded yet?"

"Cool your jets, Redge. Siriyn doesn't kid around with their security, and would you have the job done FAST...or RIGHT?"

Redge nodded, looking around, then hearing three beeps in his ear. "Confirmed, Colin's shut down the alarms. And I got the word from Darshani, she's got the slimeball thinking he's the most handsome man in the Council Sector. She'll have him in the suite and out cold in fifteen."

"Good." The door lock changed from red to green. "We're in."

The door opened. They checked the hall first, Tayna glancing left and Redge glancing right to make sure they weren't seen, then they entered quickly. Tayna started scanning immediately. "Okay, personal alarm suite on the side, hidden in the kitchen. Seems the guy didn't trust Siriyn completely. Working on it," she said quickly.

Redge nodded, going to where the safe was, but not touching it until Tayna gave the go-ahead. He heard the door close and turned towards it briefly, just to be sure no one else had come in. All he saw were the furnishings that had been there all the time: bed, hot tub, comm suite, dresser, holoprojector, partial wall and tasteful pictures of an ocean scene, a picture of Earth and the moon and one of those tacky pictures of a cowboy leaning against a fence. _Huh, no accounting for taste_.

"Got it!" Tayna sighed in relief. "We're clear."

The two went to their bags and opened them, taking out tools, three vials, a small generator and a drill with a collapsible stand. "All right...ten minutes to defeat the shield, thirty minutes to drill and then, we just blow the door, take the jewels and exit. Seventy million credits, in the bag," Tayna said triumphantly.

Redge nodded. "Let's do it."

Behind them, the cowboy in the painting watched them carefully. _Let's NOT,_ Machias thought with a frown on his watercolor face.

The shield took twelve minutes to defuse. Redge pulled up the drill and started work, but it was clear that something was wrong after less than a minute. "What the...Redge, I thought I told you to get the diamond-tipped drill bits!" Tayna hissed.

"I did!"

"Well, you need to have a talk with your source, because the drill's not making a scratch on the safe!"

Redge stopped the drill and changed out the bit, then started again, and it worked for a while, right up until the first hole was almost drilled. Then the bit snapped with a loud "CRACK!"

Redge and Tayna jerked away from the drill, then looked at each other. Redge checked the supply of drill bits. He'd brought extras, but two out of the six bits he'd brought had already snapped and they hadn't finished drilling the first hole yet and they were ten minutes behind.

"Let's keep going. Maybe they changed safes, brought in newer version with a harder shell."

"Better hope not, Tayna. This plan was made with this model of safe in mind. If it's a new model, it's going to take longer, and we can't have Colin waiting there all night, he'll be discovered. I'll tell Darshani to get over here, a little biotic muscle wouldn't hurt."

Tayna nodded, switching out the drill bit and finishing the first hole, working on the second. Ten minutes later, an asari dressed in a slightly rumpled evening dress, her lovely face clouded by frustration, walked into the suite and made a beeline for the two humans. "What's going on here?"

"Sorry to tear you away from 'embracing eternity' with that guy, but we're having trouble with the drill. May need some biotic support."

"Redge…!" Darshani said dangerously.

"It's not my fault!" he said angrily, right before Bit #3 stopped working.

Tayna and Darshani both gave him angry glares. He ignored them as he set up Bit #4 and got back to work. All three of them watched as the bit finally drilled the hole needed. All that was left was the third hole to drill and then they could use the explosives in the vial to get the safe open.

Darshani checked her omnitool. "How long have you two been at this? We're almost at deadline and we're still drilling!"

Redge snarled, "Why don't you go back to the mark's room, wake him up and actually give him what he wanted?"

Darshani turned to Redge angrily. "Say that again. I DARE you."

Tayna held up her hands. "Business NOW, you two can kiss or kill each other AFTER the job's done. Try to be professional about this?"

Darshani didn't let up. "PROFESSIONALS don't bring shoddy equipment to a JOB!"

"HEY! The guy I know…!"

"BOTH of you, QUIET!" Tayna hissed. "Have you both forgotten that we're supposed to be doing this without letting half the ship know what we're doing? Unless the both of you calm down and focus, I'm aborting the operation. You want to do that?" Redge and Darshani were silent, but still shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. "I'm glad to hear it."

Redge turned back to the drill….to see that the drill bit was white-hot. "SHIT!" He shut down the drill. "Okay, something is not right…"

"Took you THAT long to figure this out, genius?" Darshani spat.

Redge used his omnitool on the drill bits, both used and the one in use. His eyes widened. "I don't believe this…"

"What?" Tayna asked.

"We have to get out of here...WE'VE BEEN SABOTAGED."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just checked the drill bits. They look the same, but two of the drill bits aren't diamond-tipped, they're GLASS-tipped. The ones that broke are made of common steel, not tungsten-arhinide alloy. And the last two...are made of CANDY." He snapped one of the unused bits in half with his fingers, a scent of peppermint noticeable in the room.

Tayna looked at the safe. "We've come too far. Put in two vials of the deconite, it'll have to be enough. Darshani, be ready to pull the safe door." She hooked up the explosives and they took cover behind the partial wall. "Remember, jewels only. Hock can afford to lose the jewels, but if you go after any of his files, he won't stop until we've all been tortured to death. So, no matter how tempted you are, no datapads, no recording media, nothing." The other two nodded. "Alright...hang on to your body parts…!" She pressed the button on the detonator.

There was a slight "pfft" sound, and nothing else.

Tayna looked like she'd just swallowed her tongue. She pressed the button three more times. The explosives stubbornly refused to go off.

Redge turned to Tayna, a helpless expression on his face, then he took the last vial and opened the cap over the fluid, sniffing it. His eyes went wide. "You've got to be fucking kidding me…!"

Tayna grabbed the vial, sniffing it, then turned to Redge and said, with astonishing calm that comes only from incandescent rage. "This vial...is filled...WITH CHICKEN SOUP."

"Somebody fucked us! We've got to get out of here, NOW, before…"

The door opened again and all three looked up to see five asari commandos dressed in Siriyn Security uniforms, carrying heavy pistols. "Don't move! Any attempt to resist will be met with lethal force!"

Darshani closed her eyes. "'Steal from a criminal', you said. 'It'll be easy', you said. 'Nothing can go wrong', you said. Tayna, when you blow a call, you don't do it small, do you? I should've listened to my sister and took that job at Chora's Den…!"

"Oh, shut UP…" Tayna said wearily.

Donovan Hock finished talking with Siriyn Security about the break-in and gave his statement after being informed that the thieves would be dropped off at the next stop and tried. Donovan made a mental note of where they would be detained to make sure they were made examples of, then thanked the security personnel for helping to protect his goods.

As soon as the door closed, Donovan rushed to the safe and opened it to remove his valuables before the safe was replaced. He then went through them to make sure nothing was missing: jewels, arms shipments, records of the dealings he had with the batarians and the Collectors for slaves, the media storage for his blackmail material, the records for his unmarked accounts and his gun, a Paladin pistol.

Everything was accounted for.

Donovon was just starting to relax when he heard the voice coming from the picture over his bed of a….wait, since when did that landscape have a Wild West theme to it? "Well, someone's going to be getting coal in HIS stocking this Christmas," the cowboy said dryly. "And it turns out you're a bigger outlaw than those thieves."

"What is this, some kind of trick?" he demanded.

The cowboy smiled, then stepped out of the painting, growing in size and dimensions until he was standing next to the bed. "Hocus pocus," Machias said dryly.

Donovan didn't waste time, going for the Paladin and pointing it at Mac's face. "Who are you? Identify yourself!"

"Relax, Hock. I'm not here to steal from you and I'm not here to arrest you. I was responsible for making sure those thieves were caught."

"Really. You covered my goods, huh?"

"No. I stopped a crime in progress. There's a subtle, but important difference. Look, put that smoke wagon away, we both know you're not going to shoot me."

"And why is that?"

"You've already got the attention of the locals. You're not going to jeopardize your freedom by murdering an unarmed man."

Hock looked at him for a long time, then put the gun down. "I assume you're here to make a point."

"Yup. Now, considering the type of things you're into, I figure you're the type of hombre who likes making points, and I figure you're going to see to it that something unfortunate happens to those people. Am I getting warm?"

"Right now, all you're doing is talking."

"Now, what I recommend strongly is that you choose not to follow your natural urges and just leave them alone. They're not about to brag to other people about this job, and I think a healthy fear of you would ensure their silence, wouldn't you agree?"

Donovan looked amused. "Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I really, REALLY want to make an example of them. What are you prepared to offer to compensate me for the loss of pleasure I would likely experience knowing they would die horribly?"

Machias frowned. "I really hoped that would be a subject we'd be avoidin'."

"What can I say? I'm the kind of man who likes to make his own entertainment."

"Well, you're male...but that don't make you a man. Tell me, Hock...how much is all that information there worth? Not the jewels...the information?"

The gun came up again. "Who do you think you are? Do you even realize how deeply you're in over your head? I'm DONOVAN HOCK. I can shoot you in the head right now and no one would care."

"Actually, no you can't."

"Give me one good reason why not."

"I can do better. I'll give you three."

Donovan waited, then smiled. "Too bad. You looked like you might've been an intelligent man, but nobody insults me and lives." He pulled the trigger and fired the Paladin, expecting the man's brains to hit the wall in a huge mess.

Problem was, the only thing to hit the wall was the bullet.

Donovan couldn't believe it. He'd MISSED from seven feet away!

Machias smiled. "One."

Donovan held the gun with both hands, aiming for Mac's chest and firing. Another hole appeared in the wall behind Machias, but not in Mac's chest.

Machias' smile because a little menacing. "Two."

Donovan took aim again, then the gun flew from his hand into Machias' hand, and as the gun touched Mac's skin, there was a loud cracking sound and sparks flew from the gun.

Machias smiled, dropping the now-useless Paladin to the carpet. "Three."

Donovan stared at Machias. "Who are you?"

"Let's not get bogged down in unnecessary details." He walked over to Hock, reaching down. Hock pulled the jewels away, but Machias had been reaching for the media storage module. "Blackmail...how much it this worth?"

"More than your life," Donovan snarled.

"More than the lives of those thieves?"

"You wouldn't DARE…!"

Machias smiled, then the module started to smoke and give off sparks the same way the Paladin did. Donovan charged forward, pulling a knife concealed in his jacket, then felt as if his face got hit with a shuttle at full burn. He looked up from where he was sitting on the floor to see him now holding the records of the shipments to the batarians. "Now, I'm sorta new here, so I'm curious...just how angry would your clients be if they showed up to pick their wares and found some unfriendly Council ships waiting for them with weapons heated up? Think they'd continue their business with you?"

"I'LL KILL YOU…!"

"Good thing I figured out this whole 'electronic messaging' thing." He tapped on the screen a few times, then nodded. "Christmas just came early for C-Sec."

Donovan grabbed the knife and got up, holding the knife towards Machias. "You're going to pay for that!" Machias responded by bringing down the edge of the datapad on the back of the hand holding the knife, forcing Donovan to drop it. Machias then spun Donovan around and drove a fist up into his stomach, driving the air out of him.

"Donovan, you may be a dangerous man with all your troops and your guns, and maybe against a chained-up child, you may be the boogeyman. But I've met men meaner and tougher than you. Now, I don't want to have to beat sense into you, I'm hoping that you might see reason." He picked up the datapad that held access to his secret accounts. "I hope you don't need this datapad for all this money you got squirrelled away…"

"...wait…" Donovan coughed.

Machias smiled. "NOW we're communicating. I want to hear you say the words, 'I'm not going to take revenge on the thieves', and I want you to be very, very convincing. If I hear that any one of those people ended up 'accidentally falling on a knife thirteen times' or something like that, I will make it my new career to put an end to yours. And if there's any doubt in your mind that I can do it, I just walked out of a painting right before your eyes. And that little bit was something I do for laughs. You harm those people and I can personally guarantee that I'll be much more SERIOUS."

Donovan coughed, "I'm not going to take revenge on the thieves….because I'm going to take revenge on YOU first."

"...well, I guess that'll have to do." Machias shrugged. "And just to make sure you don't go back on your words…" He moved a finger over the jewels, muttering in a low voice, motes of light and color descending to the jewels, making them flash.

"What did you do?"

"Just put a little magic on them. You go back on your words...and these lovely jewels will transform themselves into the most tasty and expensive ROCK CANDY ever." Machias smiled. "Happy trails."

As he walked out, Donovan's burned at his back. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Machias didn't answer, the door closing behind him.

"So, how was your swim?" Megani asked as Machias came back into the room.

"Never made it to the pool, but I found something else to do that helped me relax."

"Was it illegal, immoral or fattening?"

"None of those. Just got a little exercise."

Megani smirked. "You got lost and found yourself all the way in First Class, then came back."

"...more or less."

"Machias, you should really start listening to me when I offer you advice. You do employ me for that, after all."

"Fine. I'm going to take a shower. How long before we get to Thessia?"

"Ten hours, give or take."

"Then I'm going to get some sleep after my shower. Something tells me I'm going to need to be fully rested before I get to this planet."

Megani cocked her head to the side slightly. "You think it's going to be that much of a change?" she asked, her tone suggesting she already knew the answer.

"I'm still having to deal with the idea of people bathing more than once a week," he muttered as he went into the bathroom.

Megani smiled. She couldn't WAIT to see his reactions to Thessia.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Chapter 3

Of Citadels And Castles, Part 3: The Messenger

By C. Mage

"GOD…..a-MIGHTY!" Machias stepped out of the shuttle, looking looking around at the Lucidea Spaceport in Betoris. "This place is….UNREAL."

Megani smiled. "Asari architecture is certainly distinctive, isn't it?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I agree..."

"Wait, what were you referring to?"

"This world...the magic in this place...it's like I've been eating vanilla ice cream all my life and someone just introduced me to strawberry." He took a deep breath and walked over to a bench, sitting down. "Going to need a few moments to get my bearings…"

"Are you all right?" Megani asked, concerned.

"There's an abundance of life here...it feels different. Cool water washing over me. Feels clean…..no. Feels cleaned, somehow. And yet, there's still a sense of….it's like there's snow all over everything. In everything. It's hard to explain."

"Is it good or bad?"

"...mostly good. Just overwhelmed. Give me a few hours, I think I can attune myself." He stood up, his footing more sure. "Show me this world."

Megani was worried; he sounded a little intoxicated, talking strange. It didn't seem like it would be harmful, but people under the influence of something had this unsettling habit of walking into things, like people, furniture...oncoming traffic. He took Machias' hand. "Just until you get your bearings."

He nodded. Machias was looking around, using the Sight to see the world as it really was. He noted with some interest that many used biotics here, and the powers they used were not unlike the use of magic. "It's extraordinary. I remember a turn of phrase one of my orderlies used, 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' There's a lot that's still the same, and yet...it's something outside the realm of my experiences. And believe me, I've had a lot of experience."

"Tell me about it."

Machias turned to Megani, then nodded. "Started training when I was seven. Father was a Wizard, so he started me on learning the basics. Learned early on that I had a gift for transformation spells. When I was old enough, he told me about the Marshals, men of power, wisdom and morality. They were my heroes...used to lay awake nights, thinking about the things they did. Of course, when I was old enough, I left to join them." He laughed softly. "I was such a youngster, had no idea how things really worked. I thought I'd be riding the range and slinging spells."

"What was it like?"

"Five minutes of shootin' for every five weeks of learnin'. Marshals were expected to be self-reliant, ready for anything. The White Council were safe back in civilized areas back East, maintainin' order in the cities. That was the order of things. Wardens stayed in the states, and Marshals policed the territories. So if things went wrong, Marshals didn't have anybody except each other. No Council politickin', no problems, just facin' the world as it was. It was simpler. You knew who the outlaws were and what you had to do."

"Must've been dangerous...how did you manage to subdue them without killing them?"

Machias smiled. "What you have to understand, Megani, is that the primary goal is always 'stop the guys in the black hats from doin' what they're plannin' on doin'. You see, crimes take planning, because doing what you're not supposed to be doing involves extra work. You have to plan how to get in without being seen, do the crime without being stopped and get away without being caught. And plans like those require equipment, timing and preparation."

"So?"

"So the goal is to undo that planning. Sabotage their equipment. Delay them by sabotaging their efforts. Force them to have to fall back to another plan, one they might not like because it involves less of a payout. Don't focus on catching the crooks, focus on stopping the crime."

"Isn't that impossible? After all, aren't you called after the crime has been committed? You can't really get there before the crime happens...can you?"

"Depends on the crime. You'd be surprised how often smaller crimes are committed because the purpose of the smaller crime is to further the goal of a bigger one. One time, in Nevada, I was called in because magic was used to kidnap two women. I did some investigatin' and found out three women had been kidnapped the same way from some of the local tribes, only the locals didn't know about it, because, frankly, they didn't care. The pattern fit a ritual summoning of the worst kind, calling a kind of demon prince, and I was able to find them before they could begin the summoning."

"What did you do?"

Machias smiled. "Oldest trick in the book. I switched out some of their ingredients, one in particular, ground unicorn's horn. They intended to throw it into the air and contaminate the ground horn using a spell to defile the area, then let it settle on everything...only it didn't work out that way." He took out a vial filled with blue dust. "Sandman's Sand. One of the first things Marshals are trained how to make on their own and use. Throw it up in the air and everyone the dust falls on falls asleep for twelve hours."

"So they threw up what they thought was unicorn horn…"

"And woke up in a iron-bound wagon headed for prison. Nobody got hurt and justice was served."

"But...it's not always that easy, is it? There must have been times where you couldn't get there until after the fact."

He nodded. "Plenty of times. More than half the time, to be exact." He sighed. "Too many times, we've had to use lethal force to stop someone from using their magic to kill someone else. I've never used magic to kill, but there are plenty of non-magic ways to kill someone. Sometimes, all it takes is hot lead." He turned to look at her. He saw the question in her eyes, clear as day. "And before you ask...thirty-five sentients."

"GODDESS, Mac…" She touched his shoulder.

He was silent for a long time, then he said, "I remember when I first joined the Marshals. I had a star on my chest...God in my heart...I was just barely a man. And in my first mission...you know, they teach you how to shoot, teach you how to kill if you have to, but they don't teach you that the second you kill someone, two people end up dead. The person you shoot...and the person you used to be. Doesn't matter that you didn't use magic to kill, doesn't even matter that you stopped that person from killing someone else. That person's still gone...and every time I look in the mirror, I wish I could see that kid just one more time."

He stopped, then looked at Megani. "Uh...sorry. I don't know what it is about this planet, but it feels a little like being intoxicated. We should probably get to the hotel, hopefully I'll be able to reach some equilibrium before I start feeling like I just drank a whole fifth of rotgut."

"Of course, Mac...if it gets to be too much, I can arrange for a fast exit from here."

"No...I'll be fine. Just need some time to acclimatize myself." Machias took a deep breath and let it out slow. "But if I start babbling, let me know."

_A little late for that, Mac..._ She smiled and nodded, helping him to a taxi station.

He was looking more out of it as they arrived at the hotel. The driver had looked at Machias and smiled knowingly. "Starting the celebration early? You know, I could always make a side-trip to Azure, if you're interested...?"

"I'm sorry," Megani said thinly, "but I don't think I heard you right over the engine noise. Did you just say, 'No thanks, you really don't have to tip me'?"

The driver turned back to her controls. "Everyone's a comedienne today..." she muttered.

"We're almost there, Mac. How are you feeling?"

"I'm getting my bearings, but it's getting harder to concentrate..."

"All right, people, on final approach," the driver said. 'Have to make a sharp turn here."

Machias nodded, reaching up to a handle mounted above the door. As he touched it, Megani watched as a wave of energy spread out from his hand through the structure of the taxi. "Uh, oh..." she said worriedly, just as the dashboard of the taxi started flashing red.

"Uh, strap in, you two! We just lost the starboard thrusters! Some sort of power failure! I'm gonna bring her in!" She started trying to compensate for the lack of stability, but other systems were going offline!

The receptionist at the desk smiled as she sent the keycode to the guests' omnitools. "Will there be anything else?" she asked the two asari.

"Yes," the matriarch said, "Is there taxi service available at this level?"

The receptionist was about to answer as a taxi fell out of the sky, landing hard on two other vehicles, nearly crushing them as the taxi skidded to a stop right in front of the massive windows covering the front face of the level of that hotel. There was no sound, as the buffers kept the sounds of aircars and other noises from bothering the guests. She managed to hold her composure and said politely, "Not at the moment, due to some repairs, but we will have complete access to taxi services within the hour."

"Very good," the matriarch said in a formal tone, then left with her companion to find their rooms.

The receptionist waited until they were gone, then ran outside as three people extricated themselves from the vehicle. "WHAT IN THE GODDESS' NAME...?!"

The driver coughed and leaned against the glass. "Engine...failure...everyone all right?"

Megani sighed. "Yes..." She looked at Machias with a slightly accusing expression, but he was still too dazed to feel the full force of her disapproval. "Are you insured?" she asked the taxi driver hopefully.

"Insured and bonded...dammit, now there's going to be PAPERWORK..."

"Just get your people out here NOW! I will not have a wreck on our landing pad!" the receptionist screeched as Megani walked Machias to a sofa.

"You know, Machias," she said with an angry look on her face...and was that a hint of a smirk? "This is the reason why we can't have nice things..."

"Just get me to our room..." He held his head. "Head hurts."

Megani nodded, going to talk to the receptionist. She negotiated with the receptionist, offering funds to help cover costs for the damage, and to keep things quiet. Fortunately, bribery made for an effective means of expediting action, and it made the world go around. Well, this one, in certain ways.

Machias, for his part, was starting to feel the magical equivalent of a hangover coming on. _God-a-MIGHTY, even my hair hurts...!_ He forced himself to concentrate, meditating and using a chant he learned from a medicine man in the Dakotas. By the time Megani came back with the key codes for their suite, he was feeling considerably better and it showed.

"Mac?"

"Let's get to the room...I think I've figured out what's going on."

Machias looked around at the suite, noting two separate bedrooms and the larger accommodations. "Good Heavens, this place is HUGE..."

"Mac? Focus?"

"Right..." He sat down. "From what I can tell, a mage's body needs to adjust to travelling to a different world with a different magical energy field. It's like walking in the desert for a time, then jumping into a lake. There's a shock to the system until the body learns to adjust."

"In your case, it's like being drunk."

Machias nodded. "Next planet I go to, I should be able to handle the shock better, now that I know what to expect."

"Can you still do magic?"

Machias smiled, holding up a hand and a ball of blue flame appeared over his palm. He looked at it appraisingly. "Curiouser and curiouser..."

"What is it?"

"It's supposed to be colored orange. There's still light and heat, but...it's more intense." He uncurled his fingers and it vanished like a candle being blown out. "There's a logic, a system at work. This world might also have its own rules..."

"Mac, as much as I would love the sight of you spending hours theorizing about this, wouldn't you rather go outside and experience it instead of being cooped up in here?"

"You're right. We should check out the local library, see what this culture has in the way of fairy tales, see if we can find out more about legends here and you're giving me that exasperated look again..."

Megani stood up. "Can you stop thinking about magic for once? You're on another planet. At least PRETEND that you have an interest in something besides mana fields and spell effects?" She walked to her bedroom, saying as she did, "I'm going to unpack, bathe, put on something nice and I'm going to visit places in this city that mean something to me. If you can tear yourself away from mentally running in circles about magic, you are perfectly welcome to come with me..." She paused and turned to him as she opened the door to her room. "...but rest assured, I will be going with or without you. Your choice."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Megani stood there on the other side of the door and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. "RrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG...MALES! WIZARDS! MALE WIZARDS!" she said with a long-suffering groan. "Goddess only KNOWS why other planets even HAVE males, let alone wizards!" She took a deep breath, then headed for the shower. "I don't care if he has enough money to buy this PLANET, still not being paid enough to deal with this..."

Megani came out of the room, dressed a flowing pink and purple dress, flattering without being skimpy, made of layers of a silken material. She also wore a silver forehead-band and a matching necklace, "Machias Castle, if you're not out here in two minutes, you're going to be the only one in this hotel room in THREE minutes…"

The other door opened and Machias walked out. She stopped as she regarded him. The Old West garb was significantly absent. He wore a fashionable black and dark blue outfit that accentuated his slim frame, his hair combed and his beard and moustache trimmed. He wore modern shoes, gloves...and no hat. Megani stared. He looked considerably different, with no trace of 1800's American gunslinger in his ensemble.

"Well, I hope you're pleased with the result," Machias said simply. "I'm even leaving behind my hat...and I NEVER leave my hat behind."

"You look...good. And I am pleased, thank you. Don't worry, it's just another adjustment to absorb. Besides, here on my world, a hat is little more than a fashion accessory."

"Must be nice, to be so advanced..."

"Now, don't pout. You're about to see a new world, now that you no longer feel like you're inebriated."

"Fine, fine." Machias sighed. He hadn't even left the room and he was already missing his hat.

Machias had to admit, it was amazing. Buildings, gardens, traffic with cars flying through the air, all beyond anything he'd ever seen before. "How many people LIVE in that structure?" he said, pointing to the massive building they were heading towards.

"That's not a residential building, Mac, that's a museum. I want to show you asari history, where we come from."

Machias nodded, looking around at his surroundings using the Sight. While the environment held all sorts of magical energy, the people around him seemed to be barely touched by the energy. However, there were some that were connected, but the connection was...peculiar.

He was hoping the museum might provide better insight.

"Where are all these items from?"

Megani pointed out certain artifacts. "Those are artifacts from the early days of our civilization, when the asari were extremely territorial. They formed tribes under the matriarchs, and not all governed the same way. Some were benevolent, and their tribes prospered in agrarian societies..."

"Farms and domesticated animals, right?"

"Correct." Megani smiled. "Others were more warlike, as you can see from the artwork of the period..." She pointed to a series of pictures, which Machias looked at...then immediately looked away.

"MEGANI...all of those asari are NAKED...!" he whispered.

Megani smirked. "Well, Machias, with the temperate climate, the concept of clothing was ceremonial at best, used to denote rank or profession..."

"You did that on PURPOSE."

"You'll be pleased to know that our fashions became MUCH more modest in the years since we discovered these." She led him over to a larger section, since his hand was over his eyes the whole time.

"Is it safe to open my eyes yet?"

"Yes, Machias..." she said, with a tone suggesting exasperation.

Machias opened his eyes to see a section with artifacts made in a completely different style. "What are these?"

"These are Prothean artifacts."

"Prothean?"

"A highly advanced race of spacefaring beings. They created an empire that spanned the entire galaxy, were beneficial and charitable towards other races, and brought in a new age of prosperity."

"Sounds like decent folks...where's their homeworld?"

"That's...the problem. Sometime around 50,000 years ago, their entire empire simply...vanished. These artifacts are all that is left of their culture."

"THIS is all that's left? No ruins, no outposts, no cities, no graves or memorials?"

"If there are, we haven't discovered them yet."

"...HORSEPUCKY."

"Excuse me?"

"That's more than a little suspicious. A massive empire like that? Plus, the other races you mentioned, they still around?"

"No. There are many that think some great calamity struck the Prothean Empire. A war, perhaps, using weapons capable of wiping out entire species, whole worlds..."

Machias studied the objects carefully, then tried using the Sight. No luck, no impressions.

"What's this one?" he asked, indicating the massive pylon-like object that was the centerpiece of the exhibit.

"This is a recovered Prothean Beacon. Study of the object suggests its purpose was data storage, but it's been inert ever since its discovery more than two hundred standard years ago." She looked at the display card in front of it. "Scientists have determined that it works using some sort of brainwave-alignment protocols. The beacon synchronized with the brainwave patterns of a recipient and used the brainwave as a sort of 'carrier wave' to transfer information."

"About what?"

"Unknown. Could be a library showing a lifetime of Prothean literature, could be something else. Without power, its value is purely academic."

Machias looked closer, then used the Sight on it. At first, it didn't show much of an aura at all, but there was still something there...

"Machias, this Beacon is one of those pieces of history that helped make the asari's future. Most of the innovations that spurred on our technology came from what small pieces of information was left behind by the Protheans. They're..." She stopped as she looked at the Beacon, which was now glowing, a green light coming from a line of light running up the middle of the Beacon itself. "Mac...MAC! LOOK at it! It's ACTIVE!" She looked around as she saw several asari and assorted visitors look on in amazement. "This is incredible! Two hundred years of nothing, then the day we come to visit..." She looked on in awe, then realized she hadn't heard Machias say anything in response. "Machias Castle, don't tell me that you're not impressed by..."

She stopped as she looked closer at Machias...whose eyes were now glowing the same color green as the light from the Beacon.

"MAC!" She grabbed him, but some unseen force tossed her back and she slid across the floor. Machias rose from the floor, transfixed by the light, ensnared by its power. His face showed a blank expression as he was bathed in the light.

Megani got up, walking towards Machias carefully. As she did, he began to lower to the ground slowly, his feet touching the floor, but he ended up going to his knees. He managed to keep from collapsing completely as the green light faded both from his eyes and from the Beacon. He planted his hands on the floor to keep himself from falling, then struggled to get to his feet.

"Mac, are you all right? Say something!"

"...something..." he groaned, looking around, realizing that people were staring at him. _Great Caesar's GHOST, it's like Tombstone all over again._

"You're not hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

Megani breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess." Then she promptly slapped Machias' arm. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

"What? I didn't know that thing was capable of a Soulgaze!" He rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"Doing whatever you did to activate the Beacon...and...and that HORRIBLE LAME JOKE!" she sputtered. "You nearly scared the blue off me!"

"I was fine...honestly, from your reaction, you'd think I was never on the business end of a forced mental contact before."

Megani glared at him. "YOU SEEM TO HAVE LEFT THAT PART OUT OF YOUR BIOGRAPHY, MACHIAS CASTLE! I thought I was going to watch you get blown backwards through the walls and I was going to be stuck here having to EXPLAIN ALL THIS!"

"Uh, Megani, people are starting to stare at us..."

"LET. THEM." She poked Machias in the chest. "We are NOT THROUGH, Machias. This is nothing less than a clear case of reckless and self-destructive behavior...!"

"Ahem," a new voice said, clearing her throat.

Machias and Megani turned to look at the source of the sound, seeing a young asari scientist smiling at them, as well as four other asari dressed in combat uniforms. Megani looked at the uniformed asari, then poked Machias in the chest one more time. "LATER," she promised, then turned to the newcomer. "Yes?"

"I was hoping we might have a word in private...about what just happened?"

"Of course," Megani said. Her smile wasn't strained at all.

"Well, now then. My name is Dr. Liara T'Soni. May I have your names?"

"Dr...T'SONI?" Megani could barely contain herself. "Dr. T'Soni, this is a pleasure, I've read your book and I've always been a great fan of your work on Protheans. Truly…"

Dr. T'Soni's eyes were wide, and she blushed. "I'm honored you think so, Miss...?"

"Oh! Dr. Megani Y'Kasia, Ph.D. in Psychiatry and Psychology, currently employed as a guide and caretaker to Mr. Machias Castle."

Dr. T'Soni nodded, and turned to Machias. "And you are…?"

"United States Marshal Machias Castle, lawman and wizard."

"...I'm sorry, what was that last part?"

"Wizard." Machias smiled.

Dr. T'Soni turned to Megani. "I am beginning to see the purpose behind your association."

Machias stood up suddenly. "Well, in that case, I have a lot more of this planet to see and I'm on a schedule, so if you'll excuse us…"

"Wait! The Beacon reacted with you, made a connection. How did you activate it?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Come on, Megani, I really wanted to take a look at those fountains I saw earlier."

"Mr. Castle…" Dr. T'Soni began, but Machias held up a finger.

"MARSHAL. Marshal Castle."

"My apologies. Marshal Castle, what happened? What did the Beacon tell you?"

Machias stopped, then looked at the young archaeologist on the other side of the desk from him. "That depends...on how eagerly you want to go without sleep tonight."

Megani stood up and looked at Machias. "Mac, this woman probably knows more about the Protheans than any other person on this planet. If you learned something from that Beacon, it's your DUTY to tell her."

"...you HAD to bring up 'duty', didn't you?" Machias sighed.

"When you're done banging your head against the desk, I'm sure Dr. T'Soni will be most attentive." Megani grinned, feeling victorious.

"Fine. But I only want the three of us in this room."

Dr. T'Soni nodded, turning to the other asari. "Leave us."

"Mistress, your mother gave us strict instructions…" the leader of the group of asari began, but Dr. T'Soni held up a hand.

"And I'm giving you new instructions. Leave us. This is too important to squabble over details." The other asari left, clearly not happy about this turn of events. When they were gone, Dr. T'Soni sat down. "What do you remember?"

"The Beacon gave me a message. Something is coming. There was no war within the Prothean Empire that caused their destruction. Something came to this galaxy and completely eradicated the Protheans, as well as every other advanced race at the time." Machias took a breath. "It's all scrambled in my head, probably because I'm not Prothean...but the images and information that I'm getting..." His brow furrowed as he concentrated. "I don't know what they are...seeing an image in my head, like some gigantic crab-like creature...but I know what the Protheans called them. The Protheans called them 'the Reapers'."

Dr. T'Soni looked at Machias. "The greatest scientific revelation of this museum's history...and this is your story? A galaxy-wide DOOMSDAY SCENARIO?" She turned to Megani. "Dr. Y'Kasia, I advise you to confer with your patient and make sure this isn't one of his delusions."

"Mac, are you sure you saw what you saw? This is an alien device, built thousands of years ago..."

Machias looked angry enough to chew nails and spit staples, but he said in a calm voice that was clearly forced, "I KNOW WHAT I SAW. I AM NOT DELUSIONAL!" As he spoke, the room seemed to darken perceptibly.

Dr. T'Soni looked around, but reasserted herself and stood up. "Marshal Castle, I am not a woman to fall for cheap theatrics and apocalyptic visions. Unless you can offer something else to verify these claims..."

"FINE!" Machias reached out, grasped the side of her head, pulled her eyes to meet his. Megani watched in shock as Dr. T'Soni's eyes went completely black.

_...growing up with her mother, digging everywhere, scandalizing her mother and making her proud at the same time...his first day training with the Marshals, greener than grass...her first day at school, how she surprised the teachers with her grasp of more advanced concepts...his day fishing with his father over at Lonely Lake, they caught three huge bass...her first failure, not passing a test, her mother comforting her...his downturned face at his parents' funerals, killed by cholera...her graduation and excitement at her acceptance at Rinia Advanced Cultural Sciences Institution...his first gunfight with the McClintock Boys, lead flying everywhere, the first time he ever killed someone...long nights studying ways to determine archaeological strata...fighting the dragon outside Yuma, AZ, for five hours, playing hide-and-seek in the canyons...obtaining her doctorate in Archaeology, the small smile Benezia gave her...the images and experiences playing out over both their lives...finally coming to the events of today, making contact with the Beacon...the horrifying images of machines destroying everything they came in contact with...a brief glimpse of a star system, and in the shadows...a great, massive construct that looked like someone had taken a giant crustacean and made it into a starship...and whatever it was...its only purpose was to DESTROY..._

Dr. T'Soni fell back, sitting in her chair. Machias took a step back, sitting down heavily himself. Dr. T'Soni looked at Machias with a sense of bewilderment and wonder. "By the GODDESS...it's true. Everything you said, everything you are. I saw it all..." She rubbed her temples.

Megani looked over at Machias. Whatever he'd done, it had only taken a few seconds, but she suspected it had seemed like much longer for them. "What did you do?"

Machias shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dr. T'Soni. It was wrong of me and I shouldn't have done it...but it was too important not to show you," he said apologetically.

"You made...contact..." Dr. T'Soni said, coming back to herself.

"It's called a Soulgaze. Normally, I can get impressions about the person whose eyes I'm looking into, seeing their psyche as some sort of landscape, but with you...I started out trying to show you I was telling you the truth, but something happened, and we started sharing detailed information about each other's life. Maybe it's because an asari's mind is wired differently..."

Megani put a hand on Machias' shoulder. "Asari learn from an early age about mental contact with each other. Even children under fifty have some awareness of how to do so instinctively. Mental connection is often reserved for those with strong personal relationships." She looked at Dr. T'Soni. "I am so sorry, Dr. T'Soni, he didn't realize..."

"I know. It's all right." She looked at Machias. "Only now do I realize...Marshal Castle, I wish to ask a favor of you. Would you prolong your stay on Thessia, so we can learn more about what these visions mean?"

"...all right. I admit I've got some questions of my own I'd like to get answered. Megani?"

Megani nodded. "Here's the contact information for our hotel and my omnitool. You'll have to get in touch with me, Mac is the only one I know who doesn't have an omnitool."

"I believe I understand why." Dr. T'Soni smiled wearily. "I will need some time to rest; your 'Soulgaze' is an exhausting procedure. But I will call upon you soon. We have much to discuss."

Machias and Megani left the museum. As soon as they got to the street level, Megani suddenly punched Machias in the arm.

"OUCH! What in tarnation was THAT fer?" he exclaimed, more surprised than hurt.

"ONLY YOU could turn a simple trip to a museum into an embarrassing meeting with one of the greatest scientific prodigies of our time...including an ASSAULT!"

"Hey, it was not my fault...well, admittedly, it was that it activated, but I didn't know the Beacon would react to me using the Sight like that...and it's not my fault the information it gave me wasn't exactly great news!" He sighed. "And I'm afraid it doesn't get any better..."

Megani turned to look at him. "What is it? Are you seriously telling me this gets WORSE? How could this get any worse?"

"The message from the Protheans...I don't think it was a memorial."

"What do you think it is?"

Machias' expression was bleak. "A warning. Whatever those 'Reapers' are...I think they're coming back. Images don't say when, though. Need to study the visions closer."

Megani stared at Machias, then sighed. "My life was so much better before I took your case on. I've had better experiences dealing with crazy people than I've had with you, knowing you're sane...and even then, I have SUBSTANTIAL doubts..." She took a look at his face, then said in a softer tone, "TELL ME that this is all real and not some reaction between your magic and alien technology."

"I wish I could be sure it isn't...if I wasn't even more sure that it IS."

"So you're sure."

Machias nodded. "Unless the Protheans decided to go to a lot of trouble just to pull off the scariest practical joke in history."

"That's it. From now on, I'm only going to take you to see tri-D movies. No more museums!"

"Sounds good. One question, though."

"What?"

"What's 'tri-D'?"

Megani seriously considered punching him on the arm again.

Later that night, as the asari commandos assigned to Dr. Liara T'Soni changed shifts with their replacements, one of them used her omnitool to send a message to Liara's mother: "Museum Beacon ACTIVATED. Human recipient of Prothean information. Location of human known. Please advise."

The reply was as short as it was immediate: "Eliminate the human IMMEDIATELY."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

Of Citadels And Castles, Part 4: A Little TOO Popular With The Fairer Sex

By. C. Mage

"You know, Machias? No offense intended, but I'm starting to think you were better off back on your world three hundred years ago," Megani said. They were in his bedroom in the suite, her sitting at the nearby table and Machias laying on his back on the bed, still wearing his clothes.

"Preachin' to the choir." He looked around. "Place this expensive got any whiskey?"

"Are you sure getting inebriated is the best strategy for this?"

"...no." Machias sighed and rubbed his temples. "But after the events of the day, it shore feels like the right time to start."

"Mac, did you notice that the more frustrated or emotional you get, the more you sound like you're back in Wyoming? That accent seems to come out more when you're under stress."

"Another other startling insights you'd like to share, doc?"

"Yes. You're showing textbook signs of frustration and loss. Granted, your circumstances are...unprecedented, Mac, but right now, you can't be sure of what you saw. You've got some information, but the rest is conjecture, feelings and hunches. Are you completely certain, beyond a shred of doubt, of the message?"

"...no."

"So you could be worrying over nothing. You saw something horrifying. That's all you can say for certain."

Machias nodded. "So with any luck, Dr. T'Soni will clear all this up and I'll find out I've been fretting for nothing. That would be a considerable weight off my shoulders." He smiled a little. "Thanks, doc."

"Listen, I'm going to see about ordering up some food. You'll have to trust me about the tastes."

"I figured that would be the case," Mac sighed. "Meat and vegetables, and plenty of juice."

"Coming right up." She stood up to check with the hotel's information center to see what options the hotel's kitchen provided. Considering how long the Alliance had been around, there had to be some Human-friendly fare...

Machias sat up in bed, shaking his head to clear it. Some of the visions were still spinning around and colliding within his skull. He heard Megani from the other room calling, "Mac! I think I found a place that has some Alliance food, but not at the hotel. I think they can handle, what did you call them, 'flapjacks', 'griddlecakes' or 'bushwhackers', if you ask."

Machias blinked. Bushwhackers ain't food, they're... He stopped, then grabbed his managuns and stuck them under his belt at the back, then put his jacket on. "All right, but they better be good. You know how I am about having to deal with surprises...HEY!" He jostled the door handle. "Did you LOCK the bedroom door on me? You know I still have trouble with these newfangled things..." He then stepped back, then drew his managuns and aimed them. "AERIS..." he said in a ominous-sounding tone, and there was a shimmering around his weapons, like waves of heat coming off the desert...

The leader of the asari commandos held up a finger to her lips. They'd moved in quietly, as planned, and surprised the asari within the room, ensuring her cooperation. They communicated solely by hand signals, and were spread out. Two were moving to the doors of the bedroom, two were further away, covering the doorway with assault rifles, one stood by with a Singularity poised to neutralize Machias, and the leader held a pistol to Megani's neck, one of her arms twisted behind her back.

Their target would be a sitting duck.

The two at the doors reached towards the handles, then placed their hands on them, ready to fling them wide...and that's when the doors opened on their own.

Well, not so much "opened" as "blasted off their hinges".

The doors sent the asari behind them flying, their falls broken only by a table and a footstool. The asari with the assault rifles were startled by the unexpected blast, and Machias made good use of that time, taking cover behind a wall. "HEXUS," he intoned, and the energy around the guns changed, crackling with arcs of electricity. "If you're looking to rob me, you don't need her as a hostage, I'll be more than happy to pay you plenty for her safety."

The leader smiled. "How much?"

"One hundred thousand credits. Cash."

The leader smiled. "Done."

"Release my companion. I don't want any accidental shots interruptin' negotiations. Let her come into the room. Come on, where's she going to go?"

"Very well, but no tricks. You have never seen the full martial force of a group of trained asari commandos, human. I don't recommend finding out the hard way just what we are capable of." She let Megani go, and Megani walked quickly to the bedroom, moving to the other side of Machias from where he was taking cover.

"ONLY a hundred thousand credits?" she said indignantly, then she saw him taking off his ring. "What are you planning to do?"

Machias smiled. "Expend the full amount of the damage deposit on this suite." Then he concentrated, remembering where the commandos were positioned, then he spun into the doorway, aiming and firing in one fluid, lightning-fast series of motions. Each blast of energy found a mark, hitting the asaris dead on, surrounding them in a field of energy for a brief moment. As soon as they struck, their armors' shield energy vanished, their omnitools went offline and their guns were reduced to dead weight. Nearby electrical devices went dark and fizzled out, largely unnoticed by the asari, who were confused at not feeling any pain from the energy he fired at them, even more so realizing that they couldn't shoot back.

"Now then, ladies...want to tell me the REAL reason why you're here? Even better...who sent you?"

The one at the rear, next to the leader, reasserted herself and tried to throw a Singularity...with more success than she expected. Machias' eyes went wide as he dove to the side, the bolt of energy narrowly missing him and flying past, changing to a small black hole that lifted the bed and other furniture into the air, the gravitic forces slowly crushing them.

Well...apparently biotics aren't affected by hexes...! Machias thought as he grabbed hold of the doorjamb to avoid getting pulled into the gravity sink. Megani, thankfully, was out of range, having moved to the corner of the room where her bags were.

He holstered the managuns, then stretched out his arm towards his gunbelt. The Schofield flew out of the holster and over to his hand. He grabbed it and cocked the hammer back as the Singularity winked out. "You got one last chance! Tell me who sent you or run for it. In ten seconds I'm coming out...and you don't want that!"

"There are six of us, human and one of you!"

"Maybe...but I got six bullets. One for each of you!"

One of the commandos said defiantly, "We would all give our lives in service of the Matriarch!"

Machias tapped his badge three times, which glowed with a golden light for a second. He turned to Megani, who'd found what she was looking for in her bags...a heavy-looking pistol. "Why, Megani, what big irons you have."

"Explain the joke to me later. You better be as good as you say you are."

Machias moved to the side, but instead of staying on his feet, he rolled prone, lying on his stomach and firing. Three of the commandos had been closing the distance to fight hand-to-hand, but never made it; each fell back as a .45 lead slug exited out the backs of their heads. One of the asari raised a biotic barrier to cover herself and the leader of the squad. The remaining commando came out to go after Megani, perceiving her as the weak member of the pair.

Megani took great pleasure in proving that commando wrong, putting three rounds rapidly into the asari's upper chest. Machias reloaded his gun while Megani kept the last two covered. "Nice grouping," Machias commented approvingly.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Now then, ladies, way I see it, you're outgunned. As soon as that barrier goes, you're dead to rights...so I figure you've got three options. Try to escape, which means you'll get shot in the back instead of in the front. Fight it out with what you got, and while your biotics are pretty strong, you are already starting to realize that your chances ain't as rosy as they were when you first walked in, ain't ya? Last option, start talking, and you get to leave while you're still breathing. Your choice."

The two remaining asari looked at Machias and Megani, then at each other. They nodded, then Machias saw them draw a short blade each. At first, Machias thought they were going to fight, then he watched in shock as the two asari drove their blades into each other's chest. "NO!" he yelled as the barrier dropped, holstering his gun and checking the bodies, then turned to Megani. "Are they...?"

Megani kneeled down, checking the blades. "Yes, they committed dir'saka. It's a suicide pact common to commando training, to prevent the enemy from gathering intelligence from captured commandos. But it's only committed in the most dire of circumstances." She looked up at Machias. "Why would they do something like this for some robbery?"

"This wasn't no robbery. This was an assassination."

"But they demanded money..."

"First off, if this was a robbery, they would've waited until we'd left the hotel room. Robberies with hostages get messy. Second, they were too quick to agree on a price to release you. Real thieves would've tried to negotiate for more money if they thought they controlled the situation. Third, they had way too much firepower. Thieves don't usually carry weapons unless they're willing to risk harsher punishments. No...this was an assassination job, and they came after me right after I made contact with the Beacon."

"You don't think DR. T'SONI had anything to do with this?"

Machias considered. "They talked about 'serving the Matriarch', and from what you've told me, Dr. T'Soni is way too young. So it's someone older." He turned to Megani. "Call the police. Tell them exactly what happened, but don't tell them what we suspect."

"All right, but why?"

"Had a similar situation in the Dakotas. Came into town to resolve a dispute, couple of strangers dropped by my room to 'discourage me from sticking around.' Had to kill them both, called the sheriff and the undertaker...and waited. Sure enough, the Cullens came by to claim the bodies, and they were the ones most against the idea of me arbitratin' the dispute, since they stood to lose a silver mine and didn't want to risk it."

"So we call the police, have the discoveries of the bodies made public...and see who comes to claim them." Megani nodded. "I shall have to discuss with you at some later date the aspects of criminal psychology you've learned."

"Later. Our evidence is bleeding all over the carpet."

"That's what happened?" The detective looked at both Machias and Megani carefully.

"Yes, Detective Anliya. They came in while we were talking, demanded money. They didn't identify themselves or each other at any time, I hit them with an Overload, although I admit I may have overdone it," Megani said apologetically. "We counterattacked with what weapons we had and the last two...killed each other. It seems they feared capture more than death, although I have no idea why."

"Well, we'll find out more when we get them back to the station and have our medical examiner look over the results. We may have more questions for you later. How long are you staying on Thessia?"

"The foreseeable future. We have some consulting work at the museum." Megani smiled and nodded to Machias. "He's one of the foremost Aliiance experts on Prothean technology."

"Really?" Detective Anliya looked at him. "Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look like someone who spends his time in libraries."

"You might say I sort of stumbled into it. I do a lot of field work."

Anliya nodded. "I may call upon you again if I have any further questions. If you change locations, please notify me." She transmitted the code to Megani's omnitool.

"Of course, Detective. Please let us know if there's anything else we can do." Machias said agreeably. "Now, if you'll pardon me I need to sit down."

"And I need to speak to the hotel about changing rooms." _I hope I don't get that receptionist we first met..._

After they settled into their new room, Machias sat down at the dining table near the center of the suite. "That receptionist sure was apologetic, wasnt she?"

"Well, Mac, the hotel prides itself on its security. Having a strike team attack patrons is bad for business."

"Which means this place is like..." He stopped, then started to laugh softly.

"What?"

"...a castle."

"Cute...and I understand the concept."

"So they couldn't just walk in off the street armed for bear. They'd need to prepare and train for this sort of thing, have a plan, and be versatile enough to handle a job like this on short notice."

"Specialists." Megani nodded. "And that kind of training isn't cheap."

"Whoever this Matriarch is, she has deep pockets."

Megani's omnitool activated and she tapped it. "Yes? Hello, Detective, what's the...wait, what? On whose authorization? When? What race was he? I see. Thank you for letting me know. No, it's not your fault. Thank you." She disconnected. "Those bodies, the six asari? Gone."

"What do you mean, 'gone'?"

"Less than an hour after they were admitted, they were taken away by a turian named Saren. Said that they were part of a ring of assassins that he'd been hunting for some time, flashed his Spectre authorizations and took them away. No apology, no explanation."

"Flashed his what?"

Megani sighed. "The Council has a specific group of highly trained personnel that they use to protect Council interests and police the galaxy for extremely dangerous threats. They're called 'Spectres' and they answer only to the Council. No one outranks them and they're given free reign to deal with what the Council considers to be threats that planetary governments can't handle."

"So they're like the Marshals from Earth."

"Only there's very little oversight. As long as the Spectres get results, they'll continue to act without limits or boundaries, even if they're ruthless sacks of varren dung."

"Sounds to me you don't like this Saren guy much."

"He just swooped in and just took over, to Void with the local governments or even finding out any answers on our own."

"Isn't there any way we could talk to this Saren guy, get him to tell us what he found out?"

"No."

Machias blinked. "You sound pretty sure."

"Saren doesn't like humans. At all. Ever since the First Contact War."

"First Contact War?"

"When humans discovered the mass relays, they were consumed by the idea of exploring them. The problem is, they did so without realizing that there were some relays that were prohibited from use. One of these was Relay 314. The humans didn't know, or didn't care that reactivating that relay was forbidden. When they used it, the turians responded. However, instead of diplomacy, the turians reacted by opening fire on the Alliance ships. One of the Aliiance ships escaped, and reinforcements arrived that destroyed the turian vessels that had opened fire. It was a complete disaster. Both sides began escalating their attacks, until the Council had to step in and mandate a peace between the humans and the turians. The humans ended up painted as an aggressive species, which didn't endear them to the rest of galactic society. As for the turians, the whole affair was a black eye, since they made the mistake of choosing the 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach. They had to pay reparations to the Aliiance. CONSIDERABLE reparations. Ended up with massive trust issues on both sides...and Saren lost his brother during the conflict."

Machias sighed. "Yeah. Sounds likes lots of hard feelings all around. So Saren is not going to be any help at all."

"For all I know, he probably would've left the bodies alone if I was the only one that was attacked. Letting him know of our own investigation might encourage him to try to complicate things further."

"That's a lot of hate to be carrying around. He may need your help more than I do."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far."

Machias slowly turned to look Megani in the eyes. "Oh. Har dee har har."

"So now what?" Megani asked.

"Now we rattle some cages. We show up at our appointment with Dr. T'Soni...and find out who's surprised to see me."

"Hello, Marshal Castle." Dr. T'Soni smiled as he and Megani entered the room. "Dr. Y'Kasia. I'm pleased to see you both, especially considering how our previous meeting went."

"Yeah...still not feeling right about how I did that."

"To be fair, I doubt I would have believed you any other way. I have taken time to review the knowledge you have passed on to me. My condolences on the loss of your wife and daughter," she added softly.

"Thank you." Machias nodded.

"Please, sit down." Dr. T'Soni sat behind her desk. "I have had the chance to review the memories you've experienced. Rarely have I ever experienced a sharing that was so...prevalent and vivid in my thoughts. It was as if I was there seeing it firsthand. In doing so, I saw many things I could not explain or understand...which made it seem less like some kind of trick or fabrication. A lie would've required less explanation, which brings me to the reason why I've invited you here." She opened up a series of documents on the display surface of her desk. "I've compiled everything we have learned about the Protheans and compared them to the images in the vision I received from you. The results are...disturbing, to say the least, and suggests that these 'Reapers' not only destroyed the Protheans, but every other race above a certain technological development stage. Once it was done...they took pains to eradicate all evidence of the Protheans' existence." She stopped, the entire display with pictures and documents, one picture dominating the display: a picture of the crustacean-like apparition at the end of the vision. Turned out Dr. T'Soni had some artistic talent. "The Prothean Beacons survived, as well as objects on varied planets all over the galaxy, especially the mass relays."

"Who made the mass relays?" Machias asked suddenly.

"No one knows." Megani shrugged. "Attempts were made to date them, but they're made of materials that resist corrosion and damage, so it's hard to tell. They may be millions of years old."

"And these mass relays...are they the only means of getting around between planets?"

"The only way we know of," Dr. T'Soni answered.

Machias nodded. "I'm just curious about a few things. Maybe it's the lawman in me, but there's a lot that doesn't make sense to me. First off, why? These Reapers clearly have the power to do whatever they wanted, since they seem capable of destroying entire civilizations...as hard as it is to believe. Reminds me of an old Earth joke: what does a 500-pound gorilla eat?" He looked at Dr. T'Soni and Megani. "Give up?"

Megani said with a smirk, "When it comes to you, Mac, I gave up on a LOT of things already."

"The answer is: 'whatever it wants'. So what I'm wondering is, what does a race of hostile aliens that fly around in a giant lobster want? They've got all the power they want...they can't want money, and one can only hope they're not looking for mates."

"Excuse me?" Dr. T'Soni asked.

"When dealing with a criminal and why they commit crimes, they do so for one of four reasons: money, power, sex or something else in particular, something that is extremely important to the criminal but might be pointless to everyone else. So these Reapers, they're looking for something..." He stopped as he realized the two asari in the room were focused on him. "Apologies, Dr. T'Soni, didn't mean to hijack the conversation."

"Not at all, Marshal Castle...in fact, your approach does, in point of fact, shed some new thoughts on what happened to the Protheans. Seeing them as victims of a crime raises new perspectives. Please continue...what else doesn't make sense?"

"The mass relays. The cultures of Earth developed along different paths, largely different technologies. One culture was using gunpowder when the other was using bows and arrows. One was perfecting farming and living off the land while others were perfecting the art of warfare and sailing ships to travel long distances. But everyone uses these mass relays to travel. How do so many different races come to the same method?"

"The mass relays were discovered by different races, the technology understood and reverse-engineered. A great deal of our technology came from what we discovered from the mass relays and the artifacts we recovered from the Protheans."

"...and since you already have such a great system, why spend effort to develop alternate methods?" Machias was rubbing his chin.

"What are you driving at?" Dr. T'Soni asked.

"I don't know...but there's plenty that isn't plain adding up. Maybe it's because different cultural aspects, different ways of thinking. It just seems to me like..."

"Like...?" Megani prodded.

"...like you're being led. These things were around during the times of the Protheans, right?"

"Yes," Dr. T'Soni confirmed. "Easily."

"Which means the Protheans found them. Used them. Safe to say some of their technology was based on the mass relays?"

"Quite likely..."

"They became much more advanced in a short span of time?"

"It stands to reason."

"Sound like any cultures you know?"

Dr. T'Soni stopped. "So what you're saying is..."

"I don't know. I'm just seeing repeating patterns. And I think that means these Reapers are coming back. In fact, I'm sure of it."

"Any idea when?"

"...not a clue. Which means if I tell people about this, I'm going to sound like some two-cent doomsayer. Hell and blazes, I can barely believe it and I'm the one that got stampeded by the damned message."

Megani put a hand on his shoulder. "Mac, calm down. Center yourself."

Dr. T'Soni, however was working the information. "Then we need what any criminal investigation would...more evidence, possibly another 'eyewitness'. And I think I know where to find both. There are...two active digs with the potential to locate the evidence we need. The first is in the Knossos system in the Artemis Tau Cluster. There's a planet there with mining operations going on named Therum, where the miners dug into a chamber that contained intact Prothean artifacts. There's another dig going on at a human colony in the Utopia system in the Exodus Cluster, on a world named Eden Prime by the colonists. The world was settled after discovering its ecosystem bore an uncanny resemblance to Earth's own, and they took it as a good sign. A dig was started after some artifacts were found, and it's turning out to be a major find. I was planning an expedition to Therum and had considered how to work around the dig on Eden Prime. You can go to Eden Prime on my behalf, and we can meet up later to discuss what we find."

Machias turned to Megani. "This is going a little beyond the scope of our original working relationship. If you're not up for this, I'll understand."

"I'll admit, this has been a lot more...eventful...than any of my other experiences with my other clients have been..." COMBINED... Megani added mentally. "...but I made a commitment and I'm sticking to it. Wouldn't look good on a job history to quit a job after only a couple of weeks. I will need some time to take care of a few matters."

"I should warn you, the colony doesn't have the same conditions as Thessia. It's an agrarian colony, and you'll likely be dealing with rugged terrain, less luxurious conditions. You'll likely be asked to assist with more primitive tasks..." Dr. T'Soni's eyes fell on Machias, who was smiling nonchalantly. "...and I just forgot who I was talking to for a minute."

"One more thing, doc?"

"Yes?" both of the asari asked, then they realized Machias was t==alking to the one behind the desk.

"All that information you have on the Reapers? LOCK IT DOWN. I've got a feeling there's people out there who don't want us 'spoiling the surprise'."

"Way ahead of you...'pardner'." Dr. T'Soni smiled.

"Oh Goddess," Megani groaned. "Now it's contagious."

"Well, Machias, I hope you're proud of yourself. You managed to make one of the foremost experts in Prothean culture use the word, 'pardner'. For all I know, she's going to start taking an interest in 'punching cattle' and calling people she doesn't like 'tinhorn'...whatever those are."

"Megani, you aren't taking this personal, are you? You seem to be, as the ol' Bard put it, 'protestin' too much'."

Megani gave a long-suffering sigh. "It's just that sometimes you can be so...PRIMITIVE."

Machias smiled. "Why, thank you."

Megani turned to look at Machias, then saw the bemused look on his face. It was as if a valve in her mind was being released and she couldn't help but start chuckling, then full-blown laughing at the complete absurdity of it all. Machias smiled, then started laughing along with her, right there on the walkway, while passers-by stared at them most of them wondering if they'd lost their minds, and others wondering what was so funny.

They started to wind down after a few minutes, then Megani looked up at Machias. "You cannot imagine how much I needed that right now."

"I think I can guess." Machias was still smiling.

"You know, Machias...associating with you is no day at the beach."

"I know. Look, Megani, if you think this is getting too much, no one would think any less of you for backing off, least of all me. Don't think I haven't considered your professional reputation and standing in all this. It's probably not helping being in the company of someone everyone thinks is crazy or dangerous or both."

"I'm with you, Mac. I wish I could make promises, but I can't. Nothing I've ever done has prepared me for any of this. And to be honest, Mac, I wish I could say I trust those visions, but there's too many variables."

He nodded. "Fair enough. All I'll ask is that you play straight with me, no matter what."

"That, I can do."

"Good. Now...how do we get to this 'Eden Prime'?"

"We'll have to keep a low profile. It's not a passenger route, so standard commuter craft won't work. Fortunately, colonies need supplies, things they can't get on an undeveloped world."

"So we find a cargo ship heading to Eden Prime and hitch us a ride."

"Easier said than done. There wouldn't be a ship here. It's an Alliance colony."

"Maybe we can find someone willing to make a detour for us." Machias smiled.

"And how do you suggest we find such a person?"

Megani looked at the intricate circle on the floor of the hotel room, drawn with white sand. "We're going to lose our damage deposit. AGAIN."

"It's a simply scrying ritual, Megani, it's not like I'm trying to summon a demon or make it rain. Besides, you need completely different circles for that, and more of them."

"Why does it not comfort me that you know that information?"

He sat down in the middle of the circle. "Shhhh. I need to concentrate here. I need to make sure I have what I need to look for firmly in mind, or I run the risk of getting the wrong result." He closed his eyes and began to mutter. Megani was able to catch some of it: "Aperite mihi portas nebula...quaero implere naturam...temporis spatiique fores recludere, ut possim ipsum..."

As he spoke, Megani stepped back. She wasn't sure what to expect, but seeing the sand traces catching green fire was not on her list. She moved closer to the edge, looking at the flames and realizing they weren't burning the floor. Just...burning.

"Well...this is apparently happening..."

The light from the flames grew brighter as Machias concentrated. It was harder than he thought; Thessian mana was still unfamiliar to him, and some of the images and sensations he was getting were confusing. With magic, context was always a powerful factor, and on a different planet, even more so.

Megani watched as the fires went out abruptly, and Machias opened his eyes. "Mac?" Megani asked.

"Megani, I need you to look up a ship...called the 'AMR Demeter'. I think the captain will be cooperative, provided her pockets are lined enough." Machias got to his feet, looking at her with a smile.

"I'll see what I can find." She pulled up the name on the omnitool. Sure enough, it was berthed not too far away, as the shuttle flew. Megani smiled. _Looks like magic is good for other things besides property damage and inconveniencing my life. Eden Prime, here we come...ready or not._

Matriarch Benezia walked through the corridor to the chamber where her master sat, considering his options.

There was still much to do.

As she walked in, the figure sat up in his chair slightly. "Is it done?"

"The human...defeated the assault team."

He turned to her. "HOW?! He has no biotics! He's nothing more than..." He couldn't utter the rest of his thoughts, standing up suddenly, screaming incoherently and suddenly launching himself at the Matriarch, grabbing her by the throat. He slammed her up against the nearby wall and stood, nose-to-nasal-cavity with her. "A HUMAN...an insane HUMAN and your commandos weren't enough?"

"There is something...unnatural about him." she said, calm in spite of the threat of imminent death. "He is more than he seems."

"I will NOT tolerate this! Find out what makes him so difficult to kill...and then find a way to kill him!"

"Yes...my lord."

The turian released her and Benezia left, not even taking an opportunity to massage her neck where his hand had squeezed her flesh. He waited a few minutes, then sat down and looked at himself in the reflective surface of a nearby panel.

One of the Council's most decorated Spectres, Nihlus Kryik, looked back at him.

_So close...I have to save as many as I can...but if this human gets in the way of that...he MUST be destroyed..._

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5

Of Citadels And Castles, Part 5: Nevernever Again...

By C. Mage

#

#

"You know, Mac, this is my first time traveling as Cargo-Class."

Machias looked up from his book. "I hope that's not a rebuke of some kind."

"Actually, I have to confess...it's somewhat exciting." Megani reclined in her chair. "I feel like a secret agent on a mission."

"Well, you are. You're just not associated with some secret organization."

"No, just someone with the resources of one." She peered over at the book. "Heavy reading?"

"Heavy _writing._ I'm documenting my experiences with mana reactions from different planets, along with their side effects, factors that alter those fields and how to recover from mana-shock."

Megani walked over and stared. "You're WRITING...with a feather and liquid dyes?"

Machias chuckled. "Well, I can't inscribe it on something technological. The device would malfunction before I finished the first paragraph."

"It's just...I've never seen ink and paper being used before."

"Yeah, well, I left my stone tablets and my bone chisel on Earth."

"Now, don't be snide. It's nice to see a person's handwriting. Everything I've ever read was typed in, so this is quite fascinating." She pulled her chair around to the side of his. "You have very interesting handwriting. It's...artful, in a way. May I watch for a while?"

"As long as you don't make any comments about spelling or grammar. This is a first draft."

"Deal." She sat down and watched him for a while. "May I ask other questions?"

Machias chuckled. "Let me finish this chapter first. That way, you can ask me all the questions you have all at once."

She pouted. "Fine." Megani watched as Machias wrote. Despite his primitive mode of speech at times, he was extremely articulate in his writing. Before Megani realized it, he'd finished the chapter and three hours had gone by. "Done?"

"For now. So...any questions?" he asked knowingly.

"Oh, a FEW..." She smiled. "First off, you mentioned the effects it would have on using managuns. Couldn't you, just, throw the magic from your hands?"

"Not exactly. The Managuns make it easier to use different elemental effects, but they were made so that only the strongest Marshals could use Evocation spells WITHOUT the guns. The guns are bonded to the Marshal."

"Seems restrictive."

"It was. If a Marshal went rogue, disarming him would make him easier to capture and detain."

"That sounds like a massive limitation."

"It is. By design. Marshals were given a great deal of responsibility to act within the law in lawless areas of the country, places where the White Council could not maintain order. The Marshals were expected to maintain order and peace without courts. As such, they had great power and authority...but that can be a great temptation. No one but another Marshal could challenge a Marshal's judgment. Can't give a man or a woman power like that without finding a way to keep it in check."

"So with the managuns, Marshals are more dangerous, but without them, they're powerless?"

"Not quite. Only affects Evocation, doesn't do a thing to mess with Thaumaturgy."

"I fail to see the difference."

"Okay. Wizarding Basics." He set the book down. "Evocation is like throwing a ball. The target has to be within sight of you, you haul back and throw. Instant effect. Thaumaturgy is different in that it requires patience, since the result you're looking for is more complex. Finding this ship is a good example. It involves ritual use and some preparation. You don't even have to be in the same area, much less within sight of the goal. But to do that, you need to have some kind of connection. Knowing exactly what the goal is might be sufficient for scrying, but if you can't achieve your goal, you may need a stronger connection."

"How can you get that?"

"You need a piece of your target. Hair's good. Blood's better. The stronger the personal connection, the better the result."

"Can you harm someone with Thaumaturgy?"

Machias looked her in the eyes. "ABSOLUTELY. Know the right rituals, and you could make their lungs shrivel up or their hearts explode from the other side of the planet. And that is against the Laws of Magic."

"How many laws are there?" She walked to her seat and sat down, having the distinct feeling this would be a long list.

"Seven."

"Just seven? I was expecting a whole penal code."

"Trust me. Seven are enough. The first one is: Thou Shalt Not Use Magic To Kill Humans."

"Why not? Doesn't seem like it much different than using biotics or a gun."

"Magic comes from life itself, and life is sacred. Using magic to take the life of another deliberately is sacrilege, and it stains the soul of whoever does it. Even if it's done in self-defense or to protect the life of another, killing is still killing. The amount of stain on one's soul may be much less if there is no malicious intent, but it's still there."

"Oh. What's the punishment?"

"If there's intent, death. Self-defense or accidental, probation and atonement towards the injured party."

She nodded. "Wait, if you can't kill using magic..." Machias patted the holster where the Schofield revolver was resting. "Ah. Right," Megani said, comprehending, "What's the Second Law?"

"'Thou Shalt Not Transform Another'. That kind of magic has SEVERE repercussions and consequences. Not only is the shock to the system alone capable of causing severe damage, transforming a sentient being into a lower life form changes the mind as well."

"So transforming someone into a varren doesn't create a very smart varren."

"Not for long. There's also the risk it might go protean."

"Oh. That sounds...disgusting."

"Next, the third Law: 'Thou Shalt Not Enter The Mind Of Another Against Their Will'. It's like breaking into someone's house, only a person's mind is considered sacred...which is why I regretted Soulgazing Dr. T'Soni. I might not stain my soul doing so...but it was still unbelieveably RUDE."

"The asari tend to be more open-minded regarding mental connections."

"Was still embarrassing as Hades." He shook his head. "Fourth Law: 'Thou Shalt Not Enthrall Another". In essence, mind control, and one of the most despicable acts a wizard can commit. Not even the Almighty removes free will from others. Those who do so have, without exception, continue to stain their souls black by doing this. Penalties for breaking this Law START at death and get worse from there." Megani didn't answer, the very thought sobering. "Next, 'Thou Shalt Not Reach Beyond The Borders Of Life'."

"What does that mean?"

"Necromancy, trying to bind and control people who want nothing more than just to stay dead."

"Wait. Bringing the dead back to life?"

"Not exactly. Not so much 'living' as 'made to walk around'. It forces the bodies of the dead to act on behalf of those that control it. Puppets and little more."

"Sounds obscene. I hesitate to ask what the last two are."

"The Sixth is 'Thou Shalt Not Swim Against The Currents Of Time'. Trying to go back in time invites paradoxes and damage to the time-space continuum, re-write history. It's why I was willing to give my life to prevent that shaman from trying to change history. Killing people with magic is bad enough. Erasing them from history using magic is _abominable._"

"All six sound heinous by themselves...what about the Seventh?"

"The worst of them all...'Thou Shalt Not Open The Outer Gates'."

"The 'Outer Gates'?"

"Imagine that, outside this reality, there are being of such power and evil that their very presence in our reality would cause it to devolve into chaos and destruction. They have many names. The Old Ones. The Elder Gods. The Lords Of Hell. The Chaos Court. Ultimately, the only barrier to the destruction of...well, EVERYTHING...is the Outer Gates. As long as they stay closed, this reality is safe. But these...things want into our universe. They are tireless, relentless and utterly implacable. They want nothing more than to destroy...and they will strain at the Outer Gates until the Gates fall. There are forces at work preventing them from doing so, but anyone actively trying to _help_ the Old Ones break through the Gates...DEATH would be a REWARD compared to what they truly deserve."

"I'm sensing a great deal of hostility, something that suggests...personal confrontation?"

"Fought their minions on a mission in Montana. Gave me nightmares for months, and that was a battle I _won._" He shuddered.

"It's a wonder you haven't been driven insane, dealing with such horrors."

Machias chuckled. "Instead of all the sane and sensible things we've been doing lately?"

"You have a point...wait. Those are the only laws you're supposed to truly enforce?"

"Why?"

"There's all sorts of other crimes wizards could be capable of, like...conning people, for example. Magical con-men, thieves, people who intimidate others or destroy property."

"Well, OFFICIALLY the Wardens and Marshals don't deal with that. When it gets right down to it, the Laws are about keeping magical power from getting out of control, not about justice."

Megani looked at him. "So you'd just stand by while someone robbed a bank using magic?"

Machias grinned. "Now, based on what you've already learned about me, what would suggest that ludicrous notion?"

"But you said that those were the only Laws you were required to enforce."

"Right. But those aren't the only laws I CHOOSE to enforce. You'll note the Laws of Magic don't prohibit me from stopping crimes using magic, as long I preserve the Laws of Magic while doing so."

Realization dawned. "Ah, so UN-officially..."

"Somebody robbing a bank in front of me is going to find out real quick that things aren't exactly gonna go according to plan. Also, just because something might be legal doesn't make it morally right, but I'll do everything within the law to help."

Megani smiled. "That sounds more like the Machias I know."

The door opened to the room and one of the crew, an asari with a hard face, poked her head into the room. "We're an hour out of Eden Prime. Get your things. I want you off the ship before we start offloading the supplies; I don't need to have you underfoot." She pulled her head back and the door closed.

Megani chuckled. "Remind me to fire our travel agent. Such horrendous customer service."

#

#

#

They stepped out upon the landing platform, moving quickly out of the way of the dock workers. Nearby was a tram, clearly set to lead to the residential area of the colony. They could see the structures off in the distance, a collection of rectangular boxes clustered together.

"Mac?"

"I'm all right..I was prepared, this time. Not nearly as overwhelming." He looked around. "There's a stronger sense of power, here. There must be some sort of correlation between the amount of mana available depending on the level of development of a planet's artificial structures."

"Starting to sound less like a cowboy there, Machias."

"Don't get me wrong...what I wouldn't do for a horse right about now." He smiled and looked around. "It feels more like….remember when we went to that ice cream parlor and we sampled all those flavors? The sensation is more like….sherbert. A more natural sensation." Machias nodded. "Come on, I want to test something. Follow me."

"What?" she asked as they walked away from the platform, moving past the sonic barriers preventing the local wildlife from getting into the colony from the outside.

"This world is undeveloped, or it was developed thousands of years ago and abandoned."

"That's the story."

He smiled, then closed his eyes and raised a hand, gesturing in the air. "Give me a few moments...it's like trying to figure out….a combination lock…"

"What is?" Megani asked.

And that's when a hole opened in the air.

Machias smiled. "Found it."

Megani backed up a step. "Found WHAT?"

"Megani….welcome to the Nevernever."

"Is it safe?"

"It is with me there."

She nodded, then hesitantly walked into the portal. Machias walked in behind her. Megani looked around at the landscape, which looked more stylized, somehow, but what was more impressive were the spires of gray and green crystal that rose from the ground, forming complex structures. "What...what are these?"

"One of the things you'll find about the Nevernever is that the landscape changes to suit the dreams and thoughts of those who occupy the same space in the normal world. What you are seeing are the dreams of a dead civilization."

"So this is...what the Protheans dreams were?"

"They were powerful, intense people. Strong personalities are like tracks made in wet sand here in the Nevernever. Unless they're washed away, they remain long after the feet that made the tracks are gone. Even so, you can see that parts of this place are starting to erode. See?" He pointed to one structure that looked as if was eaten away by something, ready to collapse at any moment.

"What's causing that?"

"New owners. The more that come and build here, the higher a priority their dreams will take over the ones left here. They're the wave that will eventually erase the tracks in the sand."

"Look...is that something moving over there?"

"Let's go find out. Take my hand. Do not pick up anything from the Nevernever and try to take it back with you."

Megani took his hand and nodded. "Any other tips?"

"Yes. Here, the past and the present, even the future can appear here. Keep an eye out for anything that changes suddenly. It could mean something important."

"I'm ready."

"Good." He smiled. "Welcome to the realm of magic, Megani."

#

As they walked towards the structures, Megani could see figures moving through the spaces between the structures. Some were almost without form entirely. Others were extremely real-looking, showing scenes of battle. "What are they...ghosts?"

"Not exactly. Think of them like...fingerprints. Whenever you touch something, a mark remains. The more powerful the impact on the world you have, especially emotionally, the more visible the 'fingerprint'."

"So they can't hurt us?"

"Never said that. A stray shot from one of their weapons might damage us, and if we interfere in the events around us, they'll take notice of us. To them, we're little more than shadows ourselves."

"Mac, we're in the middle of a warzone! Are you saying we're not safe?"

Machias looked down at her. "Megani, you're with me in the Nevernever. You've never been safer in your whole life."

She nodded. There was something different about Machias, seeing him in the Nevernever. He hadn't changed his physical size, and yet he seemed to be...bigger somehow.

"Hey...there's something going on over there." Machias pointed. "Come on." They ran over a walkway, sidestepping a pitched battle between two groups of aliens, both with insectile traits, but one group wore armor and carried weapons that looked mechanical, while the other group didn't seem to be wearing armor at all and their weapons looked more organic. The second group also seemed to possess greater mass as individuals, being physically taller and wider.

As they moved towards a doorway, both of them heard a massive noise, thunderous, like a horn blowing, loud and deep. "What in the bloody blue blazes was THAT?" Machias looked around. "Sounded like a foghorn going off in both ears!"

"Maybe it's some sort of warning, or an alert of some kind."

"Let's hurry. There's a change going on in the Nevernever, I can feel it." They moved through the hallways until they came to a large chamber. The details were much clearer here, much more real. There were six of the alien beings here, the defending race, all wearing blue and yellow armor, their heads covered with hoods. They surrounded a large hole in the rock of the planet, and a large object was being lowered into the hole by an unseen force.

A Prothean Beacon.

Megani looked at their faces and the energy surrounding them. "They're using biotics to lower the Beacon. Looks like they've created a stone vault to preserve the Beacon from harm. Look up...a stone plug. But why stone instead of metal?"

"Keep watching. Maybe the answers are coming."

The beacon was lowered, as was the plug over it. The men stood back as an older Prothean stepped forward, making slow, deliberate gestures.

"What is he...?"

"Elemental work. I can see the patterns. Watch."

The seam around the stone plug vanished, then sigils carved themselves into the rock. As the Prothean finished, he sat down and nodded to the others, who began chanting. "What are they doing?" Megani asked.

Machias' answer was somber. "They're praying."

Then, in a flash of energy, the Protheans were gone, as was the building. A hot wind washed over them and Machias looked up to see the massive object hovering over them.

It was the thing from the vision. But it was the size of a _starship_. He gazed up at it, the aura surrounding it blacker than an Outsider's heart. It was the very heart of madness and evil; only Outsiders should've been capable of such corruption.

And yet, here it was. And it had a name.

SOVEREIGN.

It waited there, and Machias found himself having to fight the fear that came over him in the face of personified malice. Megani was clutching at him like she was hanging on the edge of a cliff by her fingertips. She couldn't hear herself screaming over the roar and that deep horn-like bellow. "MAAAAAAACCC!"

Machias held her tightly, looking up at the thing above them. Fear began to give way to anger. Whatever this Sovereign was, it had to be stopped. He watched it move away and fade to nothing. "Megani, it's gone. It's GONE."

"Was that...?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes...but it's gone. And it didn't find the Beacon." He looked down at her.

"What happened?"

"A memory...a horrible memory of pain and death. Come on, we're leaving." He opened a portal in the air and they stepped out onto Eden Prime, the door closing behind them.

Megani looked up at him. "And that is the world you worked in? I was terrified, as if I were on the verge of madness just being in that thing's presence...and that wasn't even the real thing. I can't believe you weren't frightened by that...that _monstrosity_."

"Who said I wasn't?"

Megani wiped her cheeks, realizing that she'd shed tears and and feeling ashamed at the same time. "You didn't act afraid...in fact, you didn't show any fear at all."

"Bravery is not the absence of fear, Megani. It's the resistance to it, the mastery of it. it's the knowledge that there is something more important than fear."

"And what's that?"

Machias looked up into the sky. When he spoke, his voice was _durasteel_. "JUSTICE."

"What are you going to do if that thing comes back? Arrest it?"

"Unlikely."

"Because of how powerful it is?"

"Oh no. I don't care how powerful something like that is. For THAT thing...the sentence will be DEATH."

Megani stared at him as if he'd suddenly grown an additional set of arms. "You truly think you can stop that thing if it returns?"

"Doesn't matter. The Reapers have to be stopped. What they did to the Protheans CAN NOT be allowed to happen again."

Megani looked around. "Wait...Machias, how did we get on this side of the colony? We only walked a few hundred meters or so in the Nevernever, but we're more than a mile from where we started!"

Machias smiled knowingly. "The Nevernever exists outside normal time and space. The usual laws of reality are often told to take a hike. Now, look around this place. See anything familiar?"

"Not really, looks like a hillside and..." She tapped a foot. "Wait. The stone." She looked down, then used her hands to clear away the dirt, revealing familiar sigils etched into the stone. "The symbols from the vision...there's a Prothean Beacon under this, still intact!" Megani looked up at Machias. "This can help verify the existence of the Reapers! We need an excavation crew down here immediately."

"Then let's go find who's in charge. A Prothean Beacon could be a valuable commodity to help improve things here at the colony, turn this place into a boom town."

"'Boom town'?"

"An Old West term. Refers to a town that suddenly gets a lot more prosperous, usually because of something valuable in the area, a gold or silver mine, for example." He grew thoughtful. "Usually means something else comes along as a result."

"What?"

"Bandits."

She nodded. "Good thinking. I'll recommend they send some Alliance troops to aid in the recovery. Come to think of it, couldn't you use magic to raise the rock sealing it in?"

"Well, yes...but there's two things to consider. One, I'm sure the colonists want to be able to get the credit for the find."

"And two?"

Machias smiled broadly. "I hate showing off."

Megani smiled, thinking, _I suspect you don't hate it QUITE as much as you profess to do, Machias Castle._ "Come on, let's go find the mayor."

#

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#

Once the colony's scientists had the chance to look over the site, the mayor needed little convincing to begin excavation immediately. He then contacted the Alliance directly, giving a full report on what was discovered, along with recorded video of the site.

One of the recipients saw the information and fed it to a different authority, as he'd been ordered to some years before. After all, it wasn't top secret information, and the money was certainly good. The information was received and he was told he would receive a bonus in a few days. Less than twenty-four hours later, his body was pulled out of the wreck of his air car. The stabilizers failed on his way to work.

Nihlus wasted no time. Neither did his "partner".

#

#

#

"Tell me again WHY we're going back into the Nevernever? Is it because we had such a _fantastic _experience the last time?" Megani said sourly, still shaken up by what she'd seen a few days ago.

"To show you the Nevernever is not always the subject of penny dreadfuls. I even packed some food for us."

"I don't know about this..."

"Don't worry. I made sure the place was more hospitable."

"Did you now."

"You showed me some of your race's history. Let me give you a chance to see some of mine."

"...all right. But NO MORE memories of Reapers, got it?"

"Done."

"Lead the way."

Machias opened the door and they walked into...Tombstone, Arizona.

Megani's eyes went wide as she looked around at the town, recreated in every detail. The sounds, the sensations, the smells...Megani wrinkled her nose. "WHAT is that SMELL?"

"What smell? OH, well, you have to understand that, during this time period, we didn't go practically naked, but we hadn't really evolved past the 'take baths once a week' stage of social evolution. Fortunately, we wore layers of clothes to minimize the problem."

Megani looked down at herself. She was wearing a dress with the hem all the way to the ground. Every inch of her was covered except for her face and her hands. She moved her hands over her clothes, then felt her back and her skirt. "What in the name of the Goddess is THIS?"

"That's a bustle."

"And this...CAGE around my legs?"

"Cultural fashion."

"You're getting back at me for all those half-naked asari back in the museum, aren't you?"

"That is a horrible, reckless accusation, Megani." _You bet your indigo-colored _rump _I am,_ he thought. "I wanted to show you an accurate representation. Look around; every other woman in a dress is in the same boat you are."

Megani looked around. She was forced to admit that every other woman was dressed similarly. "How did you do all this?"

"I found a place far enough away from the colony that had an unformed landscape, then I performed a ritual that enabled me to project my memories of this town onto the landscape of the Nevernever. Took a while, but as you can see, the results were worth it."

She had to admit, it certainly felt real enough. "Can we get off the street, please? I have a terrible feeling I know what those things in the street are and it looks like a minefield."

"Sure. Let's check out the General Store."

Megani nodded quickly, following Machias into the building. The interior smelled better, but she soon forgot about the smells as she became fascinated with what was available in the store. Clothing, foodstuffs, tools, furniture, guns, blankets, even cigars and candy. "Interesting...the items are similar, but not exactly alike."

"These are the days before mass production technology was invented. Everything's hand-made."

"What's this?"

"Beef jerky, and NO, you can't eat anything here. As remote as it is here, we're still in the Realms of the Fae, and there's a good chance the laws still apply."

"No problem. Somehow, I don't think I'd be eager to find out what animal the meat came from." She poked around at shovels, lanterns, horseshoes, bags of flour, pickaxes and a multicolored poncho. "Everything made by hand...for this technology level, the craftsmanship is extraordinary." She turned to look back at him. "Are you sure you're not embellishing anything?"

"All of this comes straight from memory, Megani."

"Perhaps, but it's a well-known psychological trait that memories to change over time, become more idealized."

Machias was sobered by the implication, but he hid it well. However, clouds started to gather over the town, making the sky overcast in a hurry. _Thanks for reminding me how primitive I am compared to everyone else, Megani. I didn't have enough clues?_ "I've spent a lot of time in the real place, Megani. I know it's ways and streets better than I know my own face. And while it may have been centuries for everyone else, it's only been a few months for me."

Megani nodded. "I'm sorry. Sometimes it's hard to remember how...well, how far you are from home."

Machias nodded, a smile on his face despite his thoughts. "Maybe we should try to come back to this place later."

"No, no, Mac, look, I know you went to a lot of trouble. I'm just trying to get a feel for the place. Please be patient with me, so much of this is new to me."

"All right. besides, it's not like there's a whole lot going on outside in the real world."

"Wait. That reminds me. When we last entered the Nevernever, we travelled a considerable distance on Eden Prime compared to the perceived distance we travelled in the Nevernever. I also checked the chronometer. I thought we spent only an hour or two there, but when we came out, almost a whole solar day had passed."

Machias nodded. "That can happen in here."

"But...all that time is gone! Has it occurred to you how much can happen in that amount of time? Missed communications, new developments, reports from the extranet?"

Machias blinked. "What's an 'extranet'?"

"The point is, Machias, it's never a good idea to withdraw from reality to indulge in some...fantasy. It suggests that you're unwilling to accept the facts concerning where you are and take comfort in a world that, while familiar, is no longer around."

Machias looked at Megani for a long time, then said, "Are you suggesting that I created all this, not for the purpose of teaching you about the world I came from, but so I could simply pretend that everything that happened to me in the past few months didn't actually happen at all? Know what _I_ think, doc? I think that you don't want to accept my world actually exists, that magic is a lot more real than you feel comfortable with. I think that if you manage to minimize it enough, you can rationalize that it's just another form of something you can handle, like it's some form of biotics. You saw something that scared you spitless, and you're trying to hide under the blankets in your bed at home, telling yourself that you don't let any hands or feet to come out from under the blanket, the Monster Under Your Bed won't grab you, while at the same time telling yourself that if the Monster can't grab you, then you can pretend the Monster itself doesn't exist!"

Megani and Machias met each others' gaze, staring each other down. Megani finally said, "Prove it to me."

"And HOW do you suggest I do that?"

"Let me go on by myself, learn about this place on my own. While I'm doing that, go to the last location you'd want to be in this place and wait for me there. If you're truly not here as a method of escapism, then go someplace that would be the least enjoyable, someplace I'd never expect to see you voluntarily."

Machias stared at her. "FINE. I know just the place. Let's see if you're as smart as you think you are." He walked off and Megani watched him go for a few minutes, then turned and headed for a building with music coming out of it, a place called the "High Noon Saloon". _Well, this place seems lively. Let's see what cultural surprises lay within…_

#

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Machias looked up as the door to the cells opened. He was in the cell on the left, resting on the cot built into the corner, from where he had a terrific view of Megani being brought in by two deputies, each one holding an arm. Machias watched with a neutral expression on his face as they brought her into the next cell. Her dress was torn and the skirt was almost in tatters. The metal frame of her skirt was twisted and bent in several places.

And if looks could maim, Machias could be collected in a basket.

The deputies locked the cell door, then locked the door between the cells and the Sheriff's office. One could cut the silence with a vibroblade. Finally, Machias turned to Megani and asked brightly, "SO...what are you in for, lady?"

"Before I say ANYTHING more, MISTER Castle...I want your word that you will not laugh."

"You TRULY expect me capable of making a promise like that without hearing what happened?"

"YOUR WORD, Castle!"

"All right. I swear upon my badge and my oath as a Marshal that I will do everything in my power not to laugh."

Megani glared at Machias, then began. "I simply walked into the High Noon Saloon…"

"Dressed like that?"

"MAC…!"

"I promised not to laugh, but if I want details, I'll ask for them."

"FINE. I walked in and realized that there were many in there, and almost all of the women were dressed more comfortably. So I felt that, if they could be more comfortable…"

"You started taking off the clothes, didn't you?" he asked levelly.

"Well, no one seemed to mind that they were wearing less, and it was CLEARLY within the realm of modesty…"

"And that's when you figured out it wasn't."

She opened her mouth and was about to say, "How was I supposed to know?", but thought better of it and closed her mouth. She knew what his answer would've been: "You could've always asked me." Instead, she said, "Clearly the occupants of the establishment reacted completely inappropriately!"

"Yes, because there are established protocols of behavior for when a blue woman strips herself of her garments in a public place."

"I thought that I wouldn't be viewed as an alien in this little history lesson."

"A proper woman walks into a place proper women don't go, unescorted, and starts removing her garments? Your skin color would be the LAST thing they'd be concerned with."

"Don't be crass, I've seen males there removing their coats and jackets..."

"True...but coats and jackets aren't in the same category as _shirts_ and _pants._" He bent over slightly, his hand over his mouth, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Then, I asked one of the men to help me get that bustle and that cage off from around my waist, and..." She stopped as she narrowed her eyes at Machias. "...and MACHIAS CASTLE, YOU HAD BETTER BE CRYING REAL TEARS RIGHT NOW," she added in a dangerous tone.

Machias said in a strained voice, his hands covering his face, "_I AM...!_"

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"I can't believe you still find this funny," Megani growled.

"I can't believe you _don't_." They walked out of the Sheriff's office.

"You come from a barbaric, primitive, completely uncivilized culture!"

"And yet, I was not the one taking my clothes off in front of twenty men."

As Megani looked towards the east, she sighed morosely. "Couldn't you at LEAST have done something about THAT?" She pointed to the familiar shape of the crab-like starship hovering over where they'd seen it before. "If you're capable of recreating a town from memory, couldn't you have done something about THAT memory? It looks even WORSE somehow."

Machias stared at it for a long time. "Megani, how much combat training have you had?"

"Twelve years, Serrice Guard. Helped pay for my degree, why?"

"Because that thing there ISN'T a MEMORY. We're seeing something that's happening RIGHT NOW!"

Megani suddenly felt as if she'd been dropped into ice water. "Mac..."

"I have to do something, Megani. We're safe here in the Nevernever, but I can't just sit here while the colony's in danger. I have to go help."

"Then I'm coming with you!"

"Megani..."

"No arguments. Besides, if you get killed, I'll be stuck here forever and I have better things to do with my time!"

"All right, just...stay behind me if things get too wild. If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Megani gave him a Look. "Just stay out of my line of fire, 'cowboy'."

They exited the Nevernever back in the field where they'd entered, then moved to cover instantly. And just in time, apparently. Four metal objects flew past in a diamond-shaped formation. Machias didn't have to wonder what their purpose was...it was clearly a search pattern. "DAMMITALL...!" he muttered.

"You had no idea it was coming, Mac. Focus on what we CAN do. First thing, I'm going to need a gun."

Gunfire erupted the way the objects had flown. "Whoever those things found, they'll either need help or can provide it. Come on, but stay low." They moved down the treeline, and it didn't take them long to find out what happened. The four objects were nothing than scrap metal. Not too far away were two figures bending over a third.

"Ripped right through his shields," one of them said sadly, "never had a chance."

"We'll see that he receives a proper service once the mission is complete," his commanding officer said somberly, "but I need you to stay focused."

"Shepard!" His commander turned to see two people coming out of the trees, an asari and...Buffalo Bill?

"Identify yourselves!" Shepard said warningly.

"My name's Machias Castle, U.S. Marshal, and this is my companion, Dr. Megani Y'Kasia."

"Full introductions are going to have to wait. For now, my name is Shepard and this is Alenko. What are you two doing here...and why in the worlds are you dressed up like Wyatt Earp?"

"Excuse me, Shepard? What's going on here?"

"Where've you two been? Dodge City?" Shepard pointed to the smoke rising from the colony. "Eden Prime's under attack by the geth!"

Machias stared at Shepard. "The WHAT?"

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(All right, fans and friends, I'm going to be giving a one-time opportunity for you to contribute to the story, in Mass Effect style. I want you to send, by private message on , whether you want a maleShep or a femShep for this story. On July 5, 2015 at 7 pm EST, the voting will be closed and the story will continue with the version with the most votes. Show some love, people!)

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TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6

OF CITADELS AND CASTLES, Part 6: Leaving Eden

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By C. Mage

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(Votes are in, 4 votes for FemShep, 5 votes for MaleShep, ladies and gents. May I present the winner...)

Shepard looked at Machias. "Are you telling me you've never heard of the geth?"

"Well, it's not really come up in conversation before..."

Shepard groaned. "Look, 'Clint', there's people in trouble. If you can't help, just stay here where it's safe. Come on, Alenko." The two men took off up the hill.

Machias turned to Megani. "I do believe my abilities as a gunfighter have been challenged."

"And we both know how much you hate sitting idle..." She took a deep breath. "You better be as good as you say you are." As they took off running, Megani explained, "Geth are humanoid machines that were created by the Quarians as servants and workers, but rebelled and kicked the Quarians off their homeworld."

"LIVING machines?" Machias shook his head. "Just when I think I understand things around here..."

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Shepard and Alenko moved fast, heading up the hill and past rock formations that dotted the landscape, making for excellent cover. As they made their way up, they saw another Alliance soldier in pink and white armor, sprinting in their direction, running as if demons were on her heels. And from the look of the seven drones right behind her, she didn't see much difference between the real and the implied.

"Cover fire!" Shepard said, crouching and firing at the drones, cutting one of them in half. Alenko succeeded in whittling down the shields of two of the other drones before they began to bathe their cover in bucketloads of return-fire. Shepard began preparing a grenade when he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

The guy dressed as a cowboy was walking towards the geth drones. Without cover. Each hand held one of those strange revolvers. "Get DOWN, you idiot, before they notice you!"

By then, it was already too late. Three of the drones split off from firing at the soldiers and took aim at the cowboy, firing a continuous barrage of energy-based death right at him. They were no more than eight meters away, and the cowboy was closing the distance step-by step.

They couldn't possibly miss at that range.

Ashley was about to raise a warning when she watched the oncoming fire seem to...curve around the gunslinger. Since the projectiles glowed, it was easy to track their progress as they deviated from their courses five feet in front of Machias, moving around him like water moving around a watercraft's hull. Alenko and Shepard stared, but Shepard wasn't the type to let a little thing like the laws of physics getting broken get in the way of an assault, and waited just long enough for the other drones to focus their fire on the cowboy.

Then Shepard hosed the drones with fire from his Avenger. With them distracted by the target that they couldn't hit and compute why, they were easy kills, blasting them out of the air in rapid succession. Once they were down, the Alliance soldiers came together around Machias. "How did you do that?" Alenko asked. "I've never seen biotics work like that."

"You still haven't." He turned to Ashley. "Are you all right, miss…"

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, stranger. Not 'miss'. Who are you and what are you doing here...and why are you dressed like one of the Magnificent Seven?"

"I'll explain later. I know what the geth are after. The Prothean Beacon. We have to get to it before they destroy it!"

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Saren looked around at the loading docks. As he thought, having the humans along would've slowed him down. It would likely be HOURS before the humans would make it to his position...and yet another consideration for a human Spectre would be shot down, just like Anderson. Spectres had to be more than the average grunt, and besides...accepting a human as a Spectre would degrade the Spectres as a whole.

At least I won't have to worry about problems with contradictions to my assessment of Shepard.

He'd only been on the scene for a few moments, but he knew something was off. It was far too quiet. He concentrated on his surroundings, then heard a sound behind him. In a flash, his pistol was out and aimed at...

Saren blinked and lowered his gun. "Nihlus?"

"Hello, old friend." Nihlus held up his hands. "I don't recommend firing; you're too low on friends to start trying to get rid of the ones you still have."

Saren lowered his gun. "What are you doing here?"

"Heard about what was happening here. Figured they'd send you. I know you dislike humans, Saren, but you dislike geth more."

A noise to the side got their attention, and Saren moved to investigate. Nihlus watched with a smile as Saren found a human dockworker hiding behind some crates and strode over to the human, fast. "Who are you? Identify yourself!"

"Powell! I work here! Don't hurt me!"

Saren sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you, HUMAN." Despite how much as the idea appeals to me... "What happened here?"

"The geth attacked, killing everyone in sight. I hid here, since they were heading for the archaeology dig and..." His eyes went wide.

Saren had been in far too many ambushes not to recognize the universal expression of WHAT-THE-VOID? and Saren dodged to the side as a round entered Powell's forehead, making a small hole in the front and a big, messy one in the back. Saren took cover and turned to see Nihlus with his pistol out. "Now, Saren, WHY did you have to move? This could've been clean, painless. I was trying to give you the easy way out."

"Why are you doing this, Nihlus? This is insanity!"

"No, old friend. This is our only chance to save our people, our way of..." He stopped. "I'm sorry, Saren, but this is goodbye. Don't follow me. Don't force me to destroy you."

"Nihlus, stop! NIHLUS!" He rose from behind cover, gun raised...

Nihlus was gone.

Saren's face was a perfect storm of rage and confusion as he tried to understand Nihlus' words. One less human in the world bothered him not at all, but he knew that if this got out, it would be Shanxi all over again, and not only the turians, but the Spectres themselves would be vilified. A Spectre, seemingly acting in concert with the GETH?

It'd be a diplomatic disaster of APOCALYPTIC proportions.

Deal with the geth. Work with the humans as absolutely necessary, but don't mention Nihlus...until I figure out how to keep this quiet.

He turned and looked up as he heard the roar of booster engines, seeing a strange, unknown craft lifting into the air on a column of smoke and flame. His eyes narrowed, then he heard feet coming up from behind.

"What in the worlds is THAT?" Ashley said in disbelief, looking up at the large wedge-shaped object rising into the sky.

"That," Machias said in a somber tone, "is a Reaper ship."

"What's a 'Reaper'?" Shepard asked.

"Bad news," Megani answered. "If they're working with the geth, things just got a lot more annoying."

As they moved down the hill towards the docks, Shepard saw Saren coming into view. "Speaking of annoying..." he muttered.

Saren watched them coming down the hill, then blinked in surprise. "Are these three the reason why you're late?"

"I'll explain later when we're not dealing with geth. This man says they're after the Prothean Beacon."

Saren regarded Machias skeptically. "And what brought you to that conclusion?"

"An active Beacon is found and they just happened to come by a short time later? That weren't no coincidence."

Saren was thinking the same thing, but he declined to mention it. "Perhaps not." He looked down at the guns Machias was holding. "Those are your weapons? Are you deranged?"

"Listen, pardner, you going to go to work, or are you just going to work your jaw at me? Because if you want to stand here and whine like a lame mule, I've got better things to do."

Saren understood enough of what he said to get the gist, and he turned to Shepard. "Now I know he's one of yours. His lack of respect for authority is blatant." Saren turned to face Machias directly, but he was gone, already on his way towards the dig. He turned back to the three soldiers to voice his displeasure at being disregarded to find that they, too, were moving double-time towards the dig.

Saren growled audibly. These humans are going to be NOTHING but trouble... he thought angrily, then ran to catch up.

As they moved, Shepard turned to Machias. "Are we going to have any problem with you interfering with my misson?"

"If your mission includes helping people and shooting these geth things, then I am willin' to follow your lead, Shepard."

Shepard blinked. That went surprisingly well. "And you, Miss?"

"I'm with him," Megani said simply.

"Hold it!" Machias hissed as they came to a rise, seeing geth taking a pair of dead bodies and bringing them to a pair of tripod-like devices four feet wide. They placed the bodies on the devices, then stepped back as each device suddenly grew a huge spike, impaling the bodies and lifting them high. "What are they doing?"

"I don't know, but I don't LIKE it...!" Shepard broke cover, gun blazing away at the geth.

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They made their way towards the geth, and subsequently THROUGH them. As they fought the enemy, Shepard appraised the newcomers' combat abilities. The asari was clearly trained, but she was no asari commando.

Machias, however, was a different story. He fought as if he'd clearly seen a lot of action, and had no difficulties following Shepard's direction, despite needing more than just the usual hand signals to let him know where to go. And when he fought, even in the middle of dealing with dangerous multiple geth, he fought like a machine, unflinching and relentless.

Shepard smiled. It was like having himself as a squadmate.

Shepard noticed other details as well. For one thing, Machias' guns were wreathed in arcs of what looked like electricity, and every shot he fired appeared as if he was firing small bolts of lightning...and he never stopped to reload, despite the fact his was using exotic revolvers and should've had to reload after a few shots. The effects were more dramatic as well. The Avengers were powerful weapons and it took more than a few shots to put down the geth. Machias' primitive revolvers, however, required only a single shot from one of them to destroy a geth, and they were clearly not mass effect weapons.

Shepard decided to have a long talk with Machias and his friend after this was over...should they survive the experience. "We're coming up on the dig site. Stay alert for an ambush."

"No need," Saren said tersely, "there's nothing here. The Beacon must have been moved. There's marks here indicating heavy equipment was used to transport it."

Machias was looking around at the way the area of the dig was situated, narrowing his eyes. "Something ain't right."

"You're going to have to be more specific, cowboy," Ashley said.

"Why move it? All the equipment here must've been used to examine it, right?"

Kaiden nodded. "Wouldn't make sense to move it unless they were shipping it out...which means we may be too late."

Machias knelt down, touching the dais where the Beacon used to be, closing his eyes. Saren looked down at him. "What are you doing, human?"

"Shh. Tryin' to concentrate here." He murmured for about ten seconds, then looked up, his eyes a blank white. "It's still here."

Megani was the only one not taken aback by the sight, having seen much stranger already. "Can you figure out what they're doing with it if they're not taking it with them?"

Shepard blinked. "We need to move. NOW!"

"Why?" Megani asked.

"Because I just figured out what they're going to do with it! Come on!" He sprinted off towards the center of the colony. Machias shook his head, his eyes returning to normal, then stood up and followed.

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"There. That's what I was worried about. The geth got what they wanted from the Beacon, and they're not going to want to leave it around for someone else to find, so they're going to destroy it. Only thing I can't understand is why they want to use that much explosives. The beacon can't be THAT hard to destroy." Shepard checked his omnitool. "The bombs haven't been activated yet...what are they waiting for?"

"Us?"

"Maybe. We've got to disarm those bombs, FAST. The geth are single-minded enough not to care much if they take us with them, so whatever they're waiting for, we need to act before they decided to stop waiting."

"How hard will it be to disarm the bombs?" Kaiden asked.

"Hard to say. I can do it, but I'll need cover. Ashley, are you EOD-certified at all?"

"Sorry, Shepard, I'm not."

Machias reached to his chest, removing the tin star and pinning it to Shepard's chest. "What's this for?" Shepard asked.

"Cover. It'll give you protection from two more attacks before it needs to recover its energy."

Shepard rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. You and your friend, move to the right platform. Alenko, Williams, go left." He turned back to Machias, who had closed his eyes and was muttering something. "What are you doing?"

"Praying."

Shepard nodded. "Hurry it up."

Machias stopped a few moments later. "Done," he said simply, then moved off to the right platform.

Saren muttered, "I don't trust him."

"Of course not. He's human." Shepard nodded to Alenko and Williams. "So lead, follow or get out of the way, Saren. I'm working here."

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As soon as the shooting started, geth started coming out of the woodwork, and the two squads found their hands full as Shepard went to work, moving to the first bomb to disarm it. Saren, for his part, didn't hold back on his own attacks. Whether out of self-preservation or the preservation of what he knew about Nihlus, didn't matter. Saren might not have thought highly of humans, but he didn't let that get in the way.

Much.

Kaiden and Ashley hammered away at the geth with their weapons, and it looked like it was going to be easier than expected. Shepard had disarmed the first of five bombs, all linked to go off in unison, and from the looks of them, Shepard knew the yield would completely wipe the colony out of existence. "One down, four to go. Status report," he said quickly as he beelined to the next bomb, leaping from a catwalk to the platform below.

"Got some tougher customers up here, but nothing we can't handle! Looks like Buffalo Bill and Asari Oakley over there are holding their own, although I'll be damned if I could tell you how."

"I'm at the next bomb, working on the cover. I should be…"

"SHEPARD!" Kaiden yelled. "PRIME!"

Shepard looked up to see a much larger geth, colored red as blood, towering over him and aiming its main weapon at him, and it was firing even as Shepard realized it was there. The weapon fired and a bolt of energy streaked towards Shepard's head. The Prime knew it could not have possibly missed from two meters away.

It did. The blast tore into a section of wall behind him, but Shepard was untouched.

The Prime was so confused, trying to calculate how that could've happened, that it was a sitting duck for Shepard, who didn't hesitate for a moment. He fired until the Avenger's thermal sink was overloaded right into the prime's head, and not one of HIS bullets missed. "Got him, working on the second bomb."

"Shepard, we're running out of time and we still have three more!"

Shepard checked the bomb. He was almost done, but at the rate it took him to disarm the last bomb, he was going to run out of time before he could get to the fourth one. "I need options, people!"

"Shepard, what about Machias?" Ashley radioed. "Whatever he's firing, it seems to disrupt electronics. Could they take out the bombs?"

"Last resort...those things might set them off." He turned to Machas and yelled, "MAC!" Machias shot down one of the Primes and turned. "Get to where you can shoot at all of the other bombs and wait for my signal!"

Machias nodded, then moved forward and down the stairs, making sure Megani was with him every step, being exceedingly careful. His badge had been his only protection, since Machias didn't have, and couldn't use, modern armor or shields. Megani wanted to commented on how insane this course of action was, and not just because it was a professional observation. But considering she was in the general vicinity of five earth-shattering bombs, Megani had the suspicion that he might bring up the old "pot, meet kettle" argument.

Besides...despite herself, she was getting a thrilling feeling that none of her other experiences had ever provided, or prepared her for, and it was exquisitely enjoyable. As one of her squadmates had said back in the Serrice Guard, "It is like 'embracing eternity'...only there's a winner."

She wasn't sure whether she should be worried or enthusiastic.

Shepard checked the timer. "Mac! NOW!" he yelled as he deactivated the fuse on the second bomb, then closed his eyes. He heard Machias' gun fire three times in rapid succession…

Then nothing.

He opened his eyes slowly, looking around. The geth were gone, reduced to inert scrap, but everything else was still there. Shepard smiled. "Stand down...don't look now, but I think we survived."

Machias holstered his guns, Megani doing the same.

Saren put his pistol away, then looked at the others. He couldn't help but feel the operation was a disaster. The Alliance soldiers, Shepard in particular, had distinguished themselves as capable beings able to handle conditions some normal turians would not have handled as well. And that meant the humans would be even much more difficult to deal with. At this point, it would be difficult to dissuade the Council from considering Shepard as Spectre material. Even WORSE, Nihlus' actions.

The idea of Nihlus' crimes becoming publicly known was almost physically repugnant to Saren. His actions cannot be revealed.

"Shepard! Over here!"

As Shepard ran over to the platform where Ashley's voice was heard, Machias walked over to Saren, sticking out a hand. "Don't believe we were properly introduced. Name's Machias Castle, U.S. Marshal. And you are…?"

Saren looked at the hand is if it was covered with sewage. "Trying to understand your presence here and deciding if I shouldn't detain you for the use of unknown and possibly flawed technology."

"Prickly sort, ain't ya?" Machias lowered his hand.

"Mac?" Megani cautioned, "If I were you, I'd be a little more polite. Saren is a Council Spectre. He's...like a Marshal, only with a larger jurisdiction...and less oversight needed."

"Oh? Another lawman, huh? So we're sort of alike."

Saren looked at him, not bothering to disguise that he found the notion appalling. "We are NOTHING alike, HUMAN."

A cry interrupted their conversation. Machias and Megani looked at each other, then bolted to the platform to see Ashley lying on the platform, looking up at Shepard...suspended in midair and glowing with a green light.

Megani's eyes went wide. "Not AGAIN! Mac, do something!"

Machias started towards Shepard, but as it turned out, Machias didn't need to do anything. A few seconds after it first held Shepard in its power, the Beacon malfunctioned, hurling him backwards and going completely dark. Kaiden caught him, both of them tumbling to the ground as the rest of the group watched the Beacon give off random arcs of energy and trails of black smoke.

Machias ran to his side, looking him over. "He's alive. Out cold, but alive."

Saren felt surprisingly relieved; with the Beacon destroyed, that would mean even less evidence against Nihlus, giving Saren time he needed to pursue Nihlus and bury the matter before it could go public. "Honestly, is this some little game you humans play? 'Who Can Be The First To Destroy The Item We Can't Understand'?"

Ashley and Kaiden didn't answer, too busy taking care of Shepard and not wanting to break protocol, but Machias was not so encumbered. He stood up and walked over to Saren. "Can I have a word with you, Saren? In PRIVATE?"

"I have considerable doubts that you have anything to say that would be worth hearing."

Machias glared at Saren. "Mister, you're hidin' something from me."

Saren looked back at Machias. "Feel free to try to find out what that is," he said, his tone reflecting how bored he was with this conversation.

Machias grinned. "Saren...that's the fun part."

Saren didn't like that smile. He liked the feeling of meeting Machias' gaze even less. He'd met people with forceful personalities before, an occupational hazard that went with being a Spectre. To a one, he'd stared them each down with barely a thought. But this one...this HUMAN...felt like he was starting down the barrel of a Javelin sniping rifle. "I care nothing for your baseless accusations. I have a report to fill out on this mission, and judge whether or not Shepard is worthy of becoming a Council Spectre. And based on what I've seen...I am not surprised by the results."

Machias stood there and let him go, despite the fact that he'd thought of twenty-four ways to use magic to embarrass him. The Laws Of Magic existed to protect everyone, including the ones no one liked. He turned back to Ashley and Kaiden. "How's he doing?"

"He's not hurt, at least not physically. Mentally, your guess is as good as mine." Kaiden looked at Machias carefully. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"What you did to the bombs, to the geth...never seen firepower like that."

"Magic. I did tell you I was a wizard."

"But there's no such thing as magic," Kaiden insisted.

"And yet, here we are. Listen, mind if Megani and I rode with you for a while?"

"Sorry, the Normandy isn't a taxi. Only Alliance personnel allowed."

"What if I told you Shepard wasn't the only one who connected with a Prothean Beacon?"

"Let me guess...you," Ashley said skeptically.

"Check the news, look up about anything that happened on Thessia a couple weeks' back. I'll wait."

"Ash, keep an eye on Shepard while I radio the Normandy...and check out Mr. Wizard's story."

Machias sighed and sat down on a nearby crate. Megani sat next to him. "You know something, Mac?"

"What?"

She turned to him with a smirk on her face. "Hanging around with you is no picnic."

"Hey, they shot at me first." He sighed. "Are you certain you're all right with this?"

"I did suspect that being your employ would test my training. I just expected it would only test my training as a psychiatrist."

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"I trained as a soldier in the Serrice Guard. I wasn't a full commando, I didn't get the more advanced training, but I cut my teeth on Ilium, where plenty of crimes involved dealing with armed mercs."

"So you were in law enforcement. I knew there was something about you I liked." Machias smiled. "Why did you decide to become a psychiatrist?"

"I met some really bizarre individuals, people who were obsessed with the strangest motivations. I felt that learning more about why these people did what they did would make it easier to not only apprehend them, but cure them of those obsessions, help them to become better people." She turned to look at Machias again. "And then you came along."

"Any regrets?"

"You want the nice answer, or the truth?"

"You should already know the answer to that by now, Megani."

Megani sighed. "I respect you, Machias. You're a good man, and you've been through loss I can't comprehend. But I've seen you in battle. I've seen you fight and I can't tell if you fight out of a need to help others, or if the fight itself is the reason. I've known patients who love the fight and the chance to exert their power over others that way, and it never turned out well."

Machias sat there, feeling a cool breeze blow against his face. "I can't say anything one way or another that wouldn't sound like justification. All I can say is 'judge me by my actions and decide for yourself'."

"Even if it means we part company?"

"I won't like it...but I ain't gonna force you to do something against your nature. If you feel you need to leave, let me know, there'll be no hard feelin's."

Megani smiled. "Of course, your actions may also just confirm what I'm hoping to see. I suppose we'll find out."

Machias looked up as he heard bootsteps approaching to see Ashley coming towards them. "Mr. Castle…"

"MARSHAL Castle, if you don't mind?"

She took a deep breath. "MARSHAL Castle, our CO wants to talk with you about what happened here. In return, we'll provide you and your friend with a means to get to the Citadel."

Machias stood up. "Thank ye kindly, we would be honored to accept your invitation."

Ashley wasn't sure what to make of them. It was all so surreal, dealing with the geth, seeing Machias at work, hearing about magic..._if a unicorn pops out of the woodwork, I'm talking to the ship doctor. I'd talk to his friend, but if she's hanging around him by choice, she might be crazier than HE is…_

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Shepard woke up, sitting up in bed and immediately regretting it. His brain felt like a Mako had driven over it, then backed up and rolled forward over it again. He rubbed his head as his vision began to clear, revealing Dr. Chakwas, Ashley, Kaiden, and the two newcomers from Eden Prime, the asari and the cowboy. "You had us worried, Shepard. How are you feeling?" Dr. Chakwas asked quietly.

He shook his head. "Minor throbbing, Nothing serious...how long was I out?"

"About fifteen hours. We think we may know what happened, thanks to your new friends." Dr. Chakwas turned to Machias and Megani. "The same thing happened to Marshal Castle."

"WHAT happened?" Shepard asked.

"You made a mental connection with the Beacon, and it delivered information directly to your mind. Unfortunately, the mind it was made for was Prothean, so I imagine you ran into the same kind of...incompatibilities I did. Let me guess, scrambled images and weird visions?"

Shepard nodded. "In spades."

"It's my fault," Ashley said remorsefully, "I must have triggered some sort of security field when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way."

"You had no way to know what would happen, Ash. It clearly hadn't affected anyone else that way, or there would've been some warning." Shepard tried standing, thought better of it and sat down. Ashley smiled, relieved.

"Actually, we don't even know if that's what set it off," Dr. Chakwas added.

Machias nodded. "The Beacon on Thessia had been inert for centuries before I came along, and had been viewed by hundreds of thousand of people without so much as flickering."

"The problem is, we'll never know what activated it," Dr. Chakwas shook her head.

"Why not?" Shepard asked.

"The Beacon exploded. System overload, maybe," Kaiden mused. "The blast knocked you cold. Williams and I had to carry you back to the ship."

"Thanks." Shepard turned his attention to Dr. Chakwas again. "What's the damage, doc?"

"Physically, you're fine. But I detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves."

Machias whispered to Megani, "What are 'beta waves'?"

"Beta waves refer to the energy moving through our brains, working on different frequencies." She noticed Machias' blank look. "Think of your brain like a building with multiple floors, each floor populated by workers responsible for a certain operation. No two floors do the same thing."

"I'm with you so far."

"Each 'floor' represents the types of tasks your brain does. Think of beta waves as the floor dedicated to problem solving, judgment, decision making, and focused mental activity."

"AH. Nicely put," Machias smiled.

Dr. Chakwas continued on while Machias and Megani were talking. "I also noticed an increase in your rapid-eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming."

Shepard considered what he had seen for a few moments. "I saw...I'm not sure what I saw. Death...destruction...nothing's really clear."

Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Hmmmm...I better add this to my report, it may…" She stopped as the sickbay door opened and a new person entered, a black man in uniform "Oh, Captain Anderson."

Machias blinked, then smiled broadly. Megani cocked an eyebrow. "What's that for?"

"Where I come from," Machias whispered, "colored folks didn't exactly hold positions of authority. It's gratifying to see those days are clearly long-gone."

"How's our XO holding up, Doctor?"

"XO?" Machias whispered.

"Executive Officer," Megani whispered back.

"All the readings look normal. I'd say the commander's going to be fine."

"Glad to hear it. Shepard, I need to speak to you...in private."

"Aye-aye, Captain," Kaiden said, saluting. "I'll be in the mess if you need me." He left, Ashley and Dr. Chakwas following. Machias and Megani walked towards the door.

"Don't go far," Anderson said quickly. "I have some questions for you two as well."

Machias chuckled. "I find my social calendar surprisingly vacant, sir. We'll be around when you need us." They walked out the door.

Anderson waited until the door was shut before turning back to Shepard. "Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Commander. You sure you're okay?"

Shepard frowned. "I don't like soldiers dying under my command."

"Jenkins wasn't your fault, Shepard. You did a good job."

"Not good enough for Saren." Shepard told him about Machias and Megani and how they fought against the geth, as well as Saren's constant critiques of their actions. "It didn't help that Intel dropped the ball, sir. We had no idea what we were walking into down there. That's why things went to hell."

"The geth haven't been outside the Veil in two centuries, Commander. Nobody could've predicted this." Anderson sighed. "I won't lie to you, Shepard. Things look bad. The geth are invading, the Beacon was destroyed, and Saren, despite your success, is not likely to give a glowing report on what happened down there. The Council's going to want answers."

"I didn't do anything wrong, Captain. Hopefully, the Council can see that."

"I'll stand behind you and your report, Shepard. You're a damned hero in my book. But that's not why I'm here. It's Saren. Saren's one of the best Spectres there are, a living legend. His report is going to carry a lot of weight with the Council. Saren is going to be trouble. He's dangerous, and he hates humans." He sat down, leaning forward in his chair. "Tell me about this 'Castle' person."

#

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* * *

Castle and Megani walked around the Normandy. Machias was pleased as could be. The first ship he was on was too big, the second, too lonely. Here was a ship that was not only the right size, but was populated with humans, and soldiers to boot. He didn't even mind the odd looks he was getting from most of the soldiers, tipping his hat genially.

Megani shook his head. "You seem rather happy."

"I am! I'm starting to feel more like my old self, doing what I love doing the most, helping people and making new friends." He tipped his hat to a pair of female crewmembers, who stared and laughed as he walked over to the mess hall. "But first...I could eat a horse, hooves and all." He smiled as he saw Kaiden eating at one of the empty tables. "Mr. Alenko, how do?"

"Marshal Castle," he said in greeting. He still wasn't sure what to make of the man in the odd clothes, but he was good in a fight, and that was enough to earn some respect.

"Are these seats taken?" Kaiden shook his head and gestured for them to sit down. "Much obliged to ya."

"You really take this whole 'cowboy' thing seriously, don't you?" Kaiden asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The hat, the chaps, the boots, the spurs, the six-guns. And what's this about you being a wizard?"

"Sure as shootin', that's what I am."

"Well, if you're a wizard, show me some magic."

Machias sighed. "Everyone wants demonstrations in this time period, don't they? All right, Kaiden. Because it's you, I'll give you a demonstration."

"And nothing biotic. Believe me, I'll know if you try any biotic tricks."

He reached into the pouch on his hip. "How's the food here?"

"Honestly? I've got boots with more flavor than this." He dropped the spoon into the mush on the tray. "Why?"

"Where is it, where is it...I know I had it here somewhere…." Kaiden watched as he took out a lariat, a set of spurs, a small cloth bag, a skull that looked like it once belonged to a cat, and a necklace of bear claws. Finally, he pulled out a folded-up cloth with a red crisscross pattern on white linen. "AH! Knew I had it here somewheres."

"What's that?"

"Something I use if I find myself headin' somewhere food might be scarce. In my line of work, there was always a problem with folks in need. In fact, it happened more often than shootouts, truth be told. In times like those, I needed to get people food to eat so they wouldn't starve, and I picked this little beauty up in Wyoming as payment for a favor I did the previous owner." He held it up, letting it unfold itself to reveal a red and white gingham tablecloth. "What do you think?"

By then a few other soldiers in the mess hall were looking at Machias and the tablecloth. "Not bad...in a mid-twencen sort of way."

"See anything unusual about it?"

"Apart from the fact that you own something like that, not really." Kaiden chuckled. Machias smiled. "Pick your tray off the table, I need it empty." Kaiden complied as Machias took a breath and closed his eyes, saying three times, "Bonum cibum, bonum cibum boni venite comedite," then spread the tablecloth out over the table. As the cloth settled over the table, food seemed to just GROW from the cloth. Two roast chickens. Large bowls with mashed potatoes, green beans, corn-on-the-cob and baked beans. Platters of pork chops, pork ribs, hard-boiled eggs, biscuits and soft rolls. Three baked pies, apple, cherry and pumpkin. Four pitchers filled with lemonade.

The jeweled pendant around his neck glowed, and Machias knew he was doing the equivalent of chugging the water out of his only canteen in the middle of a desert, but the thought of eating the regular fare from the mess hall was frightening. "So, Kaiden...can your biotics do this?"

Three of the soldiers, Kaiden included, dropped their trays. "Holy CRAP...!"

Ashley walked in quickly. "Does anyone else smell apple...PIE?" She stopped in her tracks, staring at the food.

Megani stared. Bolts of magic were one thing. THIS was another.

#

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* * *

Anderson nodded. "All right. Get some food and some rest, in that order. We're headed back to the Citadel. With any luck, the Council will be in a receptive mood."

"Yes, sir."

They both walked to the door and opened it to hear something that sounded like a small riot in the mess hall. The two men turned to each other, wondering if the two civilians were responsible for causing havoc on board. They ran towards the mess hall only to find that they were partly right.

Anderson stared at the food on the table and the soldiers lining up. Machias was carving up and serving the food with a warm smile on his face, "That's it folks, plenty to go around. Hey, no dessert until you've had your vegetables…!"

One of the soldiers saw Anderson and yelled, "OFFICER ON DECK!" The soldiers set the trays down and stood at attention. Machias stopped, then looked behind him to see Anderson and Shepard staring at him.

"Good day, gents. Hungry?"

"What...what is the meaning of this? How did all...THIS get here?"

Machias smiled. "Magic."

Anderson glared at Machias. "Pull the other one, it plays, 'Jingle Bells'."

"Sir?" Kaiden spoke up. "He's telling the truth. He made the food appear out of thin air, fully cooked. This isn't some stage trick and the food is real. More than real, it's, well, delicious. Try it, sir."

Anderson and Shepard walked over to the table. "It certainly smells real, Captain," Shepard said, then picked up a spoon and took some mashed potatoes, eating it. He chewed, then turned to Anderson. "These aren't dehydrated, Captain."

Anderson looked at the food in front of him, then turned to Machias and Megani, who was enjoying some corn-on-the-cob. "Marshal Castle. Dr. Y'Kasia. My office. Now."

#

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#

* * *

"Marshal Castle," Anderson began slowly, "I cannot have you disrupting operations on my ship. This sort of thing causes a breakdown of discipline and that is not something I can afford right now. It disrupts morale."

"Captain, the food being served was disrupting morale long before I came along."

"This is not a pleasure cruise, Marshal."

"Do you have something against them eating regular food?"

"Tell me, Marshal. Can you continue to feed the crew like this for the rest of the voyage to the Citadel? Three times a day?"

Machias blinked, then sighed. "No."

"So, for one single meal, they get to eat real food...and we'll talk about how that food GOT THERE shortly...and for the rest of the trip, they go back to eating only what we have available to us. How do you suppose that will affect morale? Will they appreciate the one time they ate like kings, or will they be bitter about not being able to eat like that again?"

Machias considered. "I see your point, Captain."

"The next time you start thinking about making any grand gestures about how we do things on my ship, I highly recommend you talk to me first."

"May I ask a question before this conversation goes any further?"

"All right."

"Let's suppose for a moment that I came up to you and said, 'I want to perform some magic and create food out of thin air using a special tablecloth I got back during the War Between The States on Earth.' I'm curious to know what you'd say to that."

Megani smirked as Captain Anderson considered how to answer that. Finally, Anderson said, "Which brings me to the other reason why I called you in here. You claim to be a wizard."

_Nice save,_ Megani thought.

"I am a wizard."

Anderson sat down. "I'm listening."

By the time Machias and Megani finished telling Anderson about what had happened, adding in breaks for sleep and food (Anderson had the pork chops, green beans and cherry pie), they were almost at their destination. Anderson had a thoughtful look on his face as Megani finished outlining what had happened on Eden Prime. "I'm not thoroughly convinced of what you're telling me, although I'm at a loss to explain how you did what you did. Suffice to say is that I'm reasonably sure you're not insane."

"Well, I sure am glad to hear that," Machias drawled.

"I'd like the opportunity to talk with you further about this. More importantly, I would recommend you keep your abilities quiet."

"Any reason in particular?" Megani asked.

"One. Cerberus."

Machias blinked. "We're not talking about the three-headed dog guarding the Land of the Dead, are we? Because ONCE was enough."

"No, I'm referring to an organization calling itself 'Cerberus'." Anderson considered asking about what Machias was referring to, but he had the feeling that would lead to a disturbing conversation. "They're a human-supremacist group, started out as a fringe group with their main goal as 'securing a greater role in galactic affairs'. Personally, I think they're trying to beg, borrow or use blackmail to get more and more control over the galaxy."

Machias sighed. "Great, and here I thought we'd gotten past prejudice. My world traded hating the wrong skin color to hating the wrong homeworlds." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell me why I should care. Right now, they don't sound fit to shoot at when you want to unload and clean yer gun."

"Think about it. If you can do magic, you're the only one I know of who can. Which means if these people even think you're capable of using magic, they'll try to use you to justify claims of human superiority. Better keep it under your ten-gallon hat."

"...I will consider that carefully," Machias agreed. "Besides, I have a policy that's served me well over the years. 'Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.' These Cerberus boys sound like they qualify."

Anderson nodded and stood up. "How can I contact you later if I need to?"

"Leave your contact information with my associate, Megani. Megani, if you wouldn't mind doing likewise?"

Megani smiled and transferred the information over. "Looking forward to talking with you later," she said with a knowing smile.

"You seem sure of my interest in Marshal Castle."

"When the time comes, Captain Anderson, you're going to want a man like Machias on your side. Are we dismissed?"

Anderson nodded, clearly curious about Megani's words.

"Come on, Mac...I want you to have the best seat on the ship when we get back to the Citadel. I think you'll find arriving at the Citadel much less troublesome than the last time..."

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TO BE CONTINUED….


	7. Chapter 7

Of Citadels And Castles, Part 7: Poly, Meaning "Many", and Ticks, Meaning…

..

By C. Mage

.

.

.

Machias walked up to the cockpit of the NORMANDY, feeling more and more claustrophobic the further he went. _Lord a-MIGHTY, I've been in coal mines that were more spacious than this ship._ He steeled himself and came up to the front. "Excuse me, pilot, but may I have permission to view the ship's approach to the Citadel from here?"

"Huh?" The pilot turned, looking him over from top to bottom.

Machias sighed. "Go ahead, get it out of your system. If you're going to poke fun, at least try to use a joke I haven't heard yet?"

"Have you heard the one about Buffalo Bill?"

"Yup."

"Circus being in town?"

"Yup."

"References to Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Jesse James or Billy The Kid?"

"At least one of each."

"References to John Wayne? True Grit?"

"Yup and yup."

The man made a sour face, "Well, I'm dry."

"Yeah, I've heard that about your humor."

"And they warned you in advance, too. What a bunch of spoilsports." The man held out a hand. "Jeff Moreau, but everyone calls me 'Joker'."

Machias took the hand and shook it. "Marshal Machias Castle, but my friends call me 'Mac'."

"Are we friends?" Joker asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Considerin' you're the one keeping us from crashing into things, I'm hoping we could be at the least on friendly _terms_."

Joker blinked, then chuckled. "You're all right. You're weird and really strange, but you're all right. All right, Mac, you can stay up here and watch the approach, as long as you obey three rules."

"Fair enough."

"First Rule: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING EXCEPT THE FLOOR."

Mac nodded. "Second Rule?"

"Second Rule: SERIOUSLY. DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING EXCEPT THE FLOOR."

"I'm detecting a theme here. Let me guess, the Third Rule has something to do with the First Rule?"

"What? No, are you kidding? The Third Rule is: No backseat driving. No telling me to look out for things, because I saw them a week before you did, and no telling me how to fly."

"In other words, don't get in your way, because you know what you're doing."

Joker smiled. "You're weird, but you have common sense. That'll help. All right, we're coming up on the Citadel, exiting mass relay travel...now."

The NORMANDY left high-speed mode, the Citadel coming into view. He'd seen it before, but not from this angle, and he had to admit, the large space station was magnificent in size and appearance. He saw several other ships moving towards and away from the Citadel, but one huge craft in particular was stationary. Machias made a note to point it out to Megani later. As they grew closer, Joker said, "Citadel Control, this is Alliance ship NORMANDY, requesting a place to rest our weary heads."

"NORMANDY, this is Citadel Control, reading you five-by. Proceed to Dock B-12. Also, please notify Captain Anderson that the Council is ready to speak with him and his Executive Officer."

"Roger that, Citadel Control." Joker turned back to Machias. "You know, you've been a lot less obnoxious than most other people who got to do this."

"Shucks, kind sir, 'tweren't nothin'," Machias drawled.

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When they arrived at the Citadel, Captain Anderson walked out of the Normandy first, Shepard at his right. Machias and Megani right behind them. As they reached the platform, Anderson turned to Machias. "Marshal Castle, considering the nature of your...abilities, I recommend you stay available if we need to contact you. We need to discuss with our ambassador here to see if there will be a hearing. If there is, we'll need you and Dr. Y'Kasia there as witnesses."

Machias nodded. "Always ready to serve the cause of justice, Captain."

"We'll be in touch." Anderson and Shepard turned and walked across the docks towards Citadel proper.

Machias and Megani watched them go, then Machias turned to his companion. "Well, now….alone at last."

"Cute. Let's go find a better place to sit down. How are you feeling?"

"A little drained. While there's enough life here to sustain magic here, comparing this to a planet is like comparing a bucket to an ocean. I can recover energy here, but I need quiet and concentration. A place that's serene here would be nice."

"I know just the place. It's not even far from the Embassies. But there's something we need to do first. YOU need a change of clothes. You are NOT walking around like that."

"Very well." He snapped his fingers, and the clothes changed to the modern set she'd originally found for him. "Better?"

"Show-off." Megani smiled. "Come along, 'Mandrake'."

.

.

"Ah...now THIS is what we both need." Machias and Megani sat at a table for an outdoor cafe, close to the small lakes of water and fountains. Megani sipped some troief tea from Thessia, while Machias sat on the ground, legs crossed and hands clasped in front of him. Megani savored the warm spice of the tea and closed her eyes. "And GODDESS, did I ever need it. You certainly know how to make things interesting."

"You make that sound like a bad thing…" Machias murmured, then shook his head and tried to concentrate again. _Damnation, but that woman is distracting…_

"Well, it certainly isn't boring. If it weren't for you, I'd be snowed under with paperwork right now. Instead, I'm relaxing at one of the nicer locations on the Citadel, drinking something I couldn't have afforded on my previous salary. So I have to admit, being your psychiatrist certainly comes with its perks."

Machias didn't answer. He was almost done, but he disliked how long it was taking to recharge the crystal. He made a mental note to find something more efficient, with a greater capacity...or, at the very least, stockpiling extras. In retrospect, having only the one crystal was like going into a gunfight with just one bullet.

Machias finished and stood up, going to the seat across the table from Megani. "Done."

"Not sure why you're not happy about that. Only took you about six minutes."

"Six minutes safe on the Citadel is nothing. Six minutes in a shootout is an ETERNITY."

"Grump, grump, grump. Look around you, Mac. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful and serene in your life?"

Machias looked around. He had, before, but that brought up memories of a world and a life to which he couldn't return. "I have to admit, I've never seen anything quite like it. Who built the Citadel? Must've taken ages."

"Popular belief is that the Protheans created it"

Machias stared at her. "I thought they were all gone?"

"They are, but this remains. It was discovered by the asari, abandoned, just floating in space, maintained by the Keepers."

"The Keepers?"

She pointed across the cafe to a four-legged, two-armed being, wearing a vest-like garment and a pack on its back. "They maintain the Citadel. Always have, as far back as I can remember."

"Well, that's several shades of odd. Call me crazy…"

Megani smirked. "Professional opinion."

"...but if I walked into an abandoned home and found out the maids and butlers were still keeping the place clean, I'd be concerned that the place might not be as abandoned as I thought."

Megani frowned. "You're thinking about a connection with the Reapers, aren't you?" she asked in more of a whisper.

"You're not?"

She sat back in her chair, taking another sip. "I admit that I've been thinking about the facets of our culture that we take for granted. The mass relays, how our cultures developed, and now the Citadel. We were so grateful for the benefits we were given, I imagine our forebears weren't too choosy about how we got those benefits, because there were too many others who wouldn't bother asking and we didn't want to end up behind them."

"Like the batarians. That's one homeworld I'm in no hurry to visit."

"For now, let's put that aside. There's someone here I want you to meet." She finished off her tea and stood up. "The Consort."

"The who?" Machias stood up, looking a little embarrassed. "This is hardly appropriate…"

"What? OH." Megani laughed when she saw his expression. "She's not THAT kind of consort, Mac. Well, not with everyone. She's more like a guide or confidante, not a prostitute. She has a great deal of insight, and is highly respected by the asari, not to mention other races."

"Huh. Well, that's a relief. All right. Let's go visit this Consort."

.

.

As they walked up to the door, Machias looked at the surrounding area. "Not exactly a lot of self-promotion here. No signs or anything. Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Quite sure. She's not the type to normally take walk-ins, and you have to have more determination and perseverance than the average person. That usually indicates you've got a good reason to speak with her."

"Ahhhhhh," Machias nodded sagely. "You find her because you have to make a significant effort to do so. Used to know a couple of gamblers like that."

As they walked in, Megani indicated some of the people that had come in. "Many have a great deal of respect for Sha'ira's counsel and guidance. Military leaders, celebrities, even a couple of Council members come here."

"Celebrities?"

"Famous people for different achievements." She looked at Machias. "You didn't have famous people where, or should I say, when you came from?"

"Never ran into people who were famous...unless _in_famous counts."

Megani chuckled. "You need to get involved with a better class of people." As Machias mused over that ironic choice of words, Megani walked over to the Consort's assistant at the terminal. "Hello, Nelyna."

"MEGANI!" The assistant came out from behind the terminal, hugging Megani close. "What brings you down here from the Presidium?"

"I have a new employer." She smiled as Machias stepped forward. "Nelyna, meet Marshal Machias Castle."

Nelyna looked Machias up and down. "You know, Megani, you've certainly gotten better taste in men since your days singing over at Vaetha's."

"NELYNA!" Megani said indignantly.

Machias turned with the hint of a smile. "I thought you didn't work in bars."

"I didn't DANCE. I was a SINGER," she sniffed.

"She's being modest, Marshal, she could've had a productive career as a singer, but she turned down a promoter that came by Vaetha's."

"I turned him down because he wasn't interested in my VOICE. That wretched volus claimed he could get me connected with music producers, but he was just headhunting for another club. 'Financial advisor', my blue butt."

"What was his name?" Machias asked.

"Don't remember, don't care."

Nelyna chuckled. "Well, as much as I'd love to spend the day going over old times, I'm going to have to get back to work."

"Actually, that's why we're here," Megani said, anxious to change the subject. "I wanted to make an appointment with the Consort for Machias."

"I thought 'Marshal' was his first name."

"That's his title. It's a Terran title for a type of lawman."

"Like a Spectre?" Nelyna regarded Machias a second time. "All right, Megani, I'll see what I can do...let's see. It'll be rough, but I can get you in to see her in….eight months."

Megani frowned. "No sooner than that?"

"She IS the Consort, after all, Meg."

"It's all right, Megani. I can wait." He turned to Nelyna. "We won't take up any more of your time, miss. Thank ye kindly for your help."

"Oh, well, my pleasure." Nelyna was mildly surprised. Her experiences with most humans, not to mention other self-important members of other races, tended towards the standard procedure of "keep them placated until C-Sec arrives". Having someone this gracious and polite when faced with hearing about the usual wait was not a common experience for her. She made a mental note to not only let the Consort know, but to keep an eye out for any cancellations so she could move Machias up in the schedule. "Oh!" She smiled, handing Megani a card. "Not supposed to give this out, but keep in touch. When you left Vaetha's, the place just wasn't the same."

Megani smiled. "Thanks. Take care, Nelyna."

"You too, Machias. Don't be a stranger."

"Don't worry," Megani interjected, "he could possibly GET any stranger."

"HEY! That was just unkind," Machias protested as they left.

Nelyna chuckled, then looked up as the Consort walked down the stairs with Mark Shepard. "Nelyna?"

"Yes, Consort?"

"Who was that?"

Nelyna suddenly felt nervous. "It was an old friend, who was asking about an appointment with you, on behalf of her employer, Machias Castle."

"Castle?" Shepard looked up. "He was just here?"

Sha'ira turned to Shepard. "What do you know about him?"

"We met while I was on an operation just before coming here. He helped out considerably. Machias is...well, he calls himself a wizard."

"At what?"

"I don't mean he used the term to describe he was exceptional at some skill. I mean a wizard in the stricter sense."

Sha'ira looked at Shepard intently. "Please explain."

.

.

"Well, that was disappointing, but not unexpected." Megani sighed. "I suppose we could…" She stopped and pulled up her omnitool. "Just got a message. There's going to be a hearing about what happened on Eden Prime, and they want us to join them."

"When?"

She kept reading, then looked up at him. "Right NOW."

"Lead the way."

They took off towards the taxi terminal. As the door opened, showing that the taxis were completely automated, Megani turned to look at Machias sternly, poking him in the chest once. "DON'T. TOUCH. ANYTHING."

Machias sighed, shaking his head. "Bring down ONE taxi by accident and you're a marked man…" He got into the seat, buckled himself in and clasped his hands over his lap. "Better?"

"Much." She buckled herself in. "C-Sec Headquarters," she directed the taxi, which obediently lifted off and headed towards the core of the Citadel.

"What is 'C-Sec'?"

"Short for 'Citadel Security'. They're the law here on the Citadel."

"Sounds like people I'd like to meet."

"Won't take long for us to get there." She looked over at Machias. "Nervous about the hearing?"

"I'm more nervous about causing a repeat of what happened on Thessia." He clasped his hands tightly together. "Getting up in front of judges never bothered me."

"Happened a lot?"

"Not really. We were given a great deal of latitude thanks to the moral requirements of the job. However, after every mission, our actions were judged and reviewed by the judge."

"Wait. The criminals didn't have to appear before a judge, the OFFICERS did? Why?"

"You have to understand: where we worked, there was almost no oversight, no real circuit judges, because the places we worked weren't governed as countries. They were territories where the only law came from the Marshals. We were asked to be judge, jury and executioners, and held to the highest of legal and moral standards. Any sign that we couldn't handle such responsibility, and we'd have to go before a judge, face the Jewels of Judgment."

"Jewels of Judgement?"

"Three large precious stones, emerald, ruby and sapphire. These items were bound to one another, linking the users telepathically. The ruby goes to the Defense, the emerald to the Prosecutor and the sapphire to the Judge."

"How does that work?"

"The Marshal's mind is read concerning not only his actions, but also the intent of his actions. The Prosector is another Marshal who's investigated any claims that the defending Marshal acted with misconduct to verify the accuracy of the claims. The Judge reads the evidence from both parties and makes a judgement call based on what they see in the minds of both. The gems are spelled to weed out any false memories or delusions that might color the evidence."

"Must make trials rather short. Have the Jewels ever been wrong?"

"No. Because of how they were made, they are protected from bias. They do not determine guilt, only reveal evidence. They are also made to detect if any of the three users are being influenced by outside powers, remaining inert."

"Wait, doesn't that violate one of the Laws?"

"The information gathered only reveals the events being judged, not the entire memories of the person. No information is entered, only gathered, and all participants must be willing to participate."

"And if the guilty party refuses to have his mind read?"

"If he chooses that of his own free will, then he is actively refusing to defend himself. Only a fool or the guilty chooses that."

"Still sounds a little harsh."

"Life on the frontier ain't easy. When the U.S. Marshals were no longer needed and the country was civilized territory, I figure they were relieved when they were disbanded and reassigned to other positions. The Wardens were the law from that point on and people were glad for it."

"Are you glad you're not a Marshal anymore?"

Machias sighed. "No...if only because I don't have a purpose anymore. I don't fit in with this place. I don't even have any peers; everyone left and shut the doors behind them."

"Well, you still have me." She smiled.

Machias looked at her, managing a small smile back. "Thanks."

Megani looked up. "We're almost there. Now, we're going up in front of the Council. There are three members, each from one of the three senior races: asari, turian and salarian."

"No human Councillor?"

"Humans are still new to our galactic society, and many are unsure humanity is ready to be given that much responsibility. There isn't even a human Spectre yet."

"Let me guess. We ain't housebroke yet?"

"Come on, Machias, don't act that way. There are many other races that don't have representation with the Council, either. Volus, hanar, krogan, elcor, batarians, vorcha, quarian...all are wanting representation and don't have it yet. Humanity is the newcome, the one at the back of the line. People are actually worried about how aggressive humanity is, and think you're too belligerent. Groups like Cerberus do not exactly encourage favorable arguments."

Machias nodded as the taxi came to a stop. "And getting mad about it just makes things worse. Message received."

They got out of the taxi and headed for the elevators. As they got close, Megani and Machias saw a pair of turians arguing next to the elevator to the Council chamber. "Listen to me!" demanded a turian wearing blue armor, "Saren is hiding something! Give me more time! Stall them!"

"Stall the COUNCIL? Don't be ridiculous. Your investigation is over, Garrus." The other turian, wearing more official-looking civilian clothes, shook his head and walked away.

Machias turned as he heard bootsteps behind him, seeing Shepard, Alenko and Williams right behind him.

The turian in blue reacted as he saw Shepard approach, walking over to address him. "Commander Shepard, Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer-in-charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."

"Why?" Machias asked.

Garrus turned to Machias. "Who are you?"

"Machias Castle, Marshal and…"

_Don't say "I'm a wizard",_ Megani hoped.

"...I was with Shepard on Eden Prime."

"He's with me. Come across anything I should know about?" Shepard asked, steering back to the reason Garrus spoke up.

"Saren"s a Spectre, most of his activities are classified. I couldn't find anything solid, but I know he's up to something, covering up something. As you humans say, I feel it in my gut."

"Shepard," interrupted Alenko, "I think the Council's ready for us."

"Good luck, Shepard, Castle. Maybe they'll listen to you," he added, but he didn't sound hopeful.

Shepard nodded, leading the way up the stairs and platforms to where the Council was already deliberating with another human.

As they approached the last set of stairs, Machias and Megani saw that Captain Anderson was waiting for them. "The hearing's already started, come on!"

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"The geth attack is a matter of some concern, but your report suggests that Saren Arterius was somehow complicit in the attack and withheld vital information. There is nothing to indicate that Saren was involved in any way." Tevos, the asari Councillor, stood on a platform with Sparatus, the turian Councillor, and Valern, the salarian Councillor. To their right was a large hologram of Saren, transmitted to address his accusers. In front of the Council was a platform supported by a long arm, where Ambassador Udina stood, facing the Council directly...and indignantly.

"The investigation by Citadel Security" continued Sparatus, "turned up no evidence to support these charges, which are tantamount to treason. You suspect Saren knew more than he told you about the attack, perhaps even suggesting that Saren concealed the identity of the person responsible."

"We have corroborating evidence from someone else who was there are the time, whose own testimony raises questions about Saren's involvement that cannot be overlooked!" Ambassador Udina stood to one side as Machias and Megani stepped forward.

"We've read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador. The testimony of a man under the care of a psychiatrist and demonstrating delusional behavior is _hardly_ compelling proof."

Megani spoke up. "If you know that I am a psychiatrist, then you know that I've treated many here at the Citadel...including Council members." She looked pointedly at Sparatus. "And it is my professional opinion that Machi Castle's testimony is not only valid, but his mental state is better than many you would consider sane."

"This is ridiculous. I resent these accusations," Saren's hologram said derisively, then moved its head to address Anderson. "Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me. And this must be your protege, Commander Shepard. The one who let the Beacon get destroyed. But what can you expect...from a _human?_"

"You can 'expect' to regret your words the next time we meet, Saren," Shepard said in a low, dangerous tone.

"Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard. You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres!" Saren countered.

"That's not his decision to make!" Udina said accusingly.

"Shepard's admission into the Spectres," Tevos reminded Saren, "is not the purpose of this meeting."

"This meeting HAS no purpose. The humans are wasting your time, Councillor. AND mine."

"You can't hide behind the Council forever, Saren!" Shepard took a step forward.

"Stand down, Commander." Anderson turned back to the Council. "There is one other outstanding issue: Commander Shepard's vision. It may have been triggered by the Beacon."

Saren scoffed. "Are we allowing DREAMS into testimony now? How am I to defend myself against this kind of testimony?"

Sparatus nodded. "I agree. Our judgment must be based on facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation."

Valern spoke up. "Do you have anything else to add, Commander Shepard?"

"You've made your decision. I won't waste my breath." Machias winced inwardly at Shepard's words.

The three Councillors looked at each other, shaking their heads. Tevos then looked at Shepard and said, "The Council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth, nor have we found any evidence suggesting that Saren Arterius was, in any way, obstructing or compromising this investigation. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied."

"I'm glad to see that justice was served." Machias wasn't sure how a turian face could look smug until now, and Saren wore that expression until he faded away.

"This meeting is adjourned," said Councillor Tevos simply.

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The mood of the group was decidedly somber as they walked away from the platform. Ambassador Udina turned on Captain Anderson as soon as they were out of earshot. "It was a mistake bringing you to that hearing, Captain. You and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives."

"I know Saren," Anderson said firmly, "and he's covering this either to protect someone, maybe the person who really are in charge of the geth, or just wants to use the geth to exterminate the entire human race. EVERY colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Not even Earth is safe!"

"Hold on." Machias held up a hand. "What's this about you and Saren having history?"

"I worked with him on a mission a long time ago. Things went bad. REAL bad. Look, we shouldn't talk about this here. But I know what he's like, and he has to be exposed."

"How can we do that?" Machias asked.

"'We'?" Udina looked at Machias. "This is no longer your concern, Mr. Castle. You're a civilian; you're not part of the Alliance or the NORMANDY. Your part in this is over."

"The devil you say. I'm in this up to my neck."

Udina looked squarely at Machias and Megani. "Anderson, Shepard, my office. NOW." He turned and walked back to the Embassies. Anderson and Shepard followed, clearly not happy with the situation, and were followed by Williams and Alenko, apparently even less happy about this than their commanding officers. Williams looked back at Machias apologetically before they went down the stairs.

Machias watched them go. "Megani?"

"Yes, Mac?"

"I've always hated politicians."

"I can see why."

"Come on." He headed for the elevators.

"Where are we going?" Megani asked.

"I want to have another chat with that officer, Garrus. If we can't join their little tea party, we'll have our own."

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Machias and Megani got off the elevator, but the turian in blue armor was nowhere to be seen. "Blazes…" Machias said, then calmed himself. "We need to find Garrus."

"Any idea how?"

"Usually when I was trying to find a lawman, the best way to do that is find a criminal. Someone who'd know about the lawman's movement in order to avoid 'im." He turned to Megani. "Would it be safe to say that Garrus might be working this area?"

"You mean the Embassies? It's possible."

"If you wanted to go someplace and you weren't on good terms with C-Sec...where would you go?"

"That's easy. Chora's Den."

"Show me."

As they walked to the transit station, Megani explained. "Chora's Den is run by a guy named Fist."

"Sounds like a real outlaw."

"For starters. Chora's Den is a place for mercenaries, smugglers, lowlifes of every kind. Also, if you want to have some illicit fun, but don't want to be seen by your peers, it has a certain appeal. Famous for drinks that aren't watered down and asari dancers, some of which work as 'entertainers' inside and outside of Chora's Den."

"I've been in saloons like that. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Who does Fist work for?" machias asked as they got to one of the taxis and climbed in.

"He runs Chora's Den. He owns the place."

Machias smiled as the aircar lifted into the air. "No he doesn't."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Never met the owner of a place who catered to criminals unless they could make more money off it by being a bigger criminal. I'll wager you a silver dollar he's got somebody backing him in order to use the place to get information. Probably has the place set up to eavesdrop on conversations at the tables."

"If that's the case, there's only one entity I know who'd be bold enough to try something like that on the Citadel."

"Who?"

Megani's voice was hushed. "The Shadow Broker."

"And just who is that?"

"He's the premier source of information from and for the entire galaxy. Sells information to the highest bidder."

"Maybe there's a connection. Let's go have a talk with this 'Fist'."

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It didn't take long for them to find Chora's Den. The sign was easy to pick out, it wasn't too far from the promenades, they could hear the bass of the music, and the four men with pistols made this place different than the other locations they'd visited up until now. Maybe it was the fact that these men were actually using the pistols in question.

Against Machias and Megani.

The first shot fired flashed past Machias' head, the badge protecting him once again. Machias pulled back to the side of the doorway leading to the walkways going to Chora's Den. At first, he thought he'd have to push Megani behind him to protect her, but she'd already pulled back, moving to the other side of the doorway. "Think they knew we were coming?" Megani asked.

"They knew SOMEONE was coming."

"Either that, or someone's been blabbing about the size of your bank account."

"I KNEW that much money was gonna be nothin' but a pain in my rear…!"

"They're shooting from ahead and to the right. We need to move now or they'll pin us down in a crossfire."

Machias nodded, impressed at Megani's quick assessment. "I'll go forward, you go left?"

"Try not to get killed?"

Machias looked over at her. "Aw, you DO care."

"I care about the fact that I'd rather be shot than have to apply for my old job back!" she countered, with just the barest hint of a smile.

"Well, don't get shot."

"I'll try. On three?"

"Got it."

"Good. THREE!"

Megani turned around the corner to the left, staying low, as Machias went through the doorway, taking aim as the other gunmen snapped off a shaky pair of shots that went to his sides. Machias fired twice, knocking out his adversary's shields with the first hex bolt and disabling his weapon with the second. The man pulled the trigger on his weapon, then looked at it dumbly, wondering what could've malfunctioned, right up until Machias slammed his managun against the side of the thug's head, turning right to face the second

Megani, however, wasn't being so kind. Ever since the attack on Thessia, Megani was recalling more and more of her combat training. If this ambush had happened before Thessia, she would've been in real trouble. Not now. The first thug went down fast as Megani fired at his head, then she stayed crouched, waiting for the gun to cool off. As the heat sinks did their work, Megani saw the third assailant come around the corner. She took that opportunity to move prone quickly and blow his legs out from under him, then subsequently shoot him in the head.

The last of the ambushers took one look at what happened to his cohorts and made a run for it through the doors of Chora's Den. "Should we go after him?" Megani asked, holstering her pistol.

"Never run into places you don't know how to walk out of...besides, we've got this gentleman here." He walked over to the first thug he'd knocked down, grabbing him by his collar and pulling him up. "TALK, lawbreaker. Why'd you attack us?"

"We just...wanted to rob you…!"

"LIAR. Muggers demand money first before shooting. Mugging someone carries a lighter sentence than killing someone." Machias looked over the edge of the walkway, showing an open space with a drop of over fifty meters. "TALK or I send you down to the lower Wards. Maybe one of THEM might buy what you're peddlin', but you won't be in much of a mood for talkin'."

"All right. We were sent to kill the Shepard and the Castle. Your lives are forfeit for your crimes."

Machias' face grew stony. "Someone sounds like a true-believer...who sent you?"

"I WILL NOT TELL YOU." The thug smiled. "And there is no force you can possess that will make me betray my master."

"You're wrong….and right. I have the capacity to get what I want from you, easily, but doing so would compromise my principles. I have no intention of using magic to get what I want from you. So I'm just going to have to let you go."

Megani blinked. "Let him GO? He and his friends just tried to kill us…" She stopped as she saw who had just arrived on the scene.

"I have a strict code of conduct as a Marshal. The thought of using torture and intimidation to learn who would want to target myself and Commander Shepard is abhorrent to me." He smiled, then spun the thug around to see Shepard, Alenko and Williams standing there. Shepard was cracking his knuckles. "However, unlike me, I think those people are quite comfortable with the idea."

"So...you want me dead, huh? The line for that forms at the left." He looked at Machias and Megani. "Sounds like both you and I are in the middle of this, whether the Alliance approves of it or not."

"Seems that way. This guy had three others with him, all laying for us here at Chora's Den. Which means they know someone or something in this place has information we want. And I'm figuring it's this 'Fist' fella."

Shepard nodded. "What about this one?"

"Detain him if you want, but he's a little fish. I'm thinking he'd not even big enough for bait. Might as well throw him back. He ain't done anything worth bloodying hands for."

Shepard grabbed the thug and tossed him aside. "Be grateful. That man just saved your life. Me? i would've tossed you over the edge just to hear the sounds you'd make on the way down."

As the thug ran off in near-panic, Machias turned to Shepard. "Would you have?"

"As far as HE knew, I would have. How'd you learn about Fist?"

"Megani was kind enough to provide area knowledge." Megani smiled at that. "The rest was simple deductive work. When in doubt, look for the nearest person in charge of the local thugs. Especially if it becomes apparent they work for someone in the business of knowing things. How did you get steered here?"

"Captain Anderson told us about a contact for the Shadow Broker, Barla Von, who directed us to a low-life named Harkin. Turns out the Shadow Broker is involved, but Saren isn't the main problem. Seems there's another turian Spectre by the name of Nihlus, who had been working with the Shadow Broker, then betrayed him. As a result, he wants Nihlus dead."

"Nihlus, huh? Things are getting more interesting. If you're going to talk to Harkin, how do you want to do this?"

Shepard considered. "Go in first, walk around as if you're just another tourist. We'll go in and confront Harkin."

"That should give us a chance to get the lay of the land, and if we're lucky, find that fourth thug." Megani smiled. "Definitely more interesting than quizzing patients about their parental units."

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Machias and Megani went in first, arm-in-arm as they walked over to a table. Machias winced at the volume of the music. "Lord a-MIGHTY, why do they have to play this music loud enough to make the floor throb?" he whispered.  
Megani smiled, saying through her teeth, "Just one of the things you're going to have to deal with, now shut up and act like you're having a good time."

Machias nodded, trying to avert her eyes from the asari dancers performing in Chora's Den. "Good heavens, they've got less fabric on than my swimsuit…!" he whispers.

"Try not to look so prudish...you'll blow our cover."

"And exactly what is our cover?"

"You're an eccentric rich human and I'm your lovely asari companion, with whom you managed to struggle your way out of the bedroom long enough to take in some entertainment." Megani looked around. "And here comes trouble."

Machias' eyes slid over to where a large krogan with a red crest and red armor was clearly trying to make his way into Chora's Den. There were claw scars on his face, and was clear from his expression that whatever gave him those scars got off MUCH worse. He was arguing with a pair of bouncers, not making much headway. As the krogan began to attract attention, Machias scanned the crowd. "Looks like we're not the only ones after Fist."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because no one else in here seems overly worried that he's here. Only the bouncers are." He watched as the krogan left. "We may need to look that one up, circumstances willing."

"Why? He didn't look like anything more than a hired thug."

"Yeah...but if he was some brainless muscle, he would've tried to overpower the bouncers, but he didn't even try, even though it's obvious that he could. Means he's got some cunning to go with that brawn." He watched as the krogan left. "How's Shepard doing?"

"Whatever he wanted to say to Harkin, he finished saying. He and the other humans are leaving."

"Let's get out of here."

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Machias and Megani caught up to Shepard and the others. "What's going on?"

"We found where Garrus is going. He's heading over to a medcenter here in the Wards. Seems there's a quarian with information on Nihlus and Garrus went after her," Shepard answered, not slowing down. "Problem is, Fist knows about the information, too. He figures that if he finds the quarian, he'll use her to get Nihlus and take him out."

"What'll happen to the quarian?"

"The Shadow Broker didn't get to be where he is by leaving around loose ends, Mac," Megani said.

"And me without my horse. Shepard, go on ahead, let us know what you find." Shepard nodded and raced towards the Wards. "Megani, let's head back."

"Why?"

"Think about it. Fist is a loose end, now. That's why the krogan is looking for him. The Shadow Broker must've hired him to kill Fist."

"So why should we care?"

"Because if that quarian had information on Nihlus, a rogue Spectre, three guesses who'd care."

Megani nodded. "The Shadow Broker. It's all coming back to the quarian."

"And Fist might know where she is if she came to _him_ to sell info to the Shadow Broker. Come on. If we're lucky, we can get to Fist before something happens."

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They got to Chora's Den just in time to see people leaving in a hurry. "Oh, I've seen _that_ before," Machias said as he saw the exodus. "Fist must be hunkering digging in. He's expecting trouble."

"Like the krogan?"

"Or Shepard. Either way, he's expecting a knock-down drag-out, and he doesn't want to be here when it gets here…which means he's planning escape. Now, his office is down the hall at the other end from the main door...so that means that he'd have to come out...I need a map, Megani, give me a map of the area around Chora's Den."

Megani nodded, pulling up the surrounding areas as a three-dimensional projection. Machias traced a path with his finger. "What's that?"

"Open space. No wonder Fist picked this place. There's no direct path here. By the time anyone got to the other side from outside the Den, Fist would be long-gone."

"There's a way. Come on, we have to get here. Find the fastest way to this point."

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Fist was busy in his office, wondering why the hell he'd ever gotten involved with that quarian. Now he had two Spectres, C-Sec _and_ the Alliance breathing down his neck. But it would be fine. All he needed to do was disappear for a little while. Like FOREVER. He had the money he need to go someplace where he could make sure that not even the Shadow Broker could find him, or decide Fist was too small a fish to spend the effort to catch him.

Well, maybe what was going to happen to the quarian would throw up enough trouble that he'd be able to escape. But he wasn't about to lead a pauper's life. All he needed was a few accounts...moved to the right places…

As he worked, her noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and looked through the office window to see, on a balcony more than a hundred feet away, a human and an asari looking right at his window. _Well, let them look. The window's reinforced with a forcefield capable of stopping a gunship. _ He turned back to his work. If he didn't set up the accounts the right way, the accounts he was bleeding dry would get red-flagged and he'd end up frozen out of them.

Fist heard shots from up front and checked the cameras. The krogan was there, trading shots with the men guarding Fist. _Come on, all I need is one more minute! _He activated the turrets both inside and outside his office. Anyone trying to get past those would get shot to pieces.

He turned back to the window. The human was now backing up and the asari was riding him piggyback. _You know, if I didn't know better, I'd swear it looks like the guy's gonna WHAT THE HELL?!_

.

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Megani held on tight as Machias jumped off the edge of the balcony, and instead of going down, he kept right on going up and over! His boots and his crystal glowed at the same time, and Machias concentrated the whole time over. At the midpoint, he drew his guns, both firing twice at the window's forcefield. The supercharged bolts overloaded the forcefield's emitters, shutting them down, and the next volley shattered the window itself. Fist fell backwards over his desk and knocking the computer to the floor.

He picked himself up to see Machias and Megani standing there, both aiming weapons at him. He thought about going for his gun, but after seeing them leap to a tall building with a single bound, he wasn't eager to antagonize them. "Who...who ARE you people?"

Machias reached down and grabbed Fist by the neck, pulling him nose-to-nose with Machias. "I'm going to ask you this nicely, once. What did you do when the quarian came to you?"

"How...how did you URK!" he said as Machias squeezed.

"I don't have time to go around the block with you, FIST. THE QUARIAN. WHAT HAPPENED?"

"The quarian...wanted to see the Shadow Broker….wanted to give him….some vital information. She wanted….a face-to-face...with the Shadow Broker."

Megani snarled, "The Shadow Broker doesn't DO 'face-to-face'."

"I know that...but she wouldn't take...no for an answer. So I told her...where to meet...the Shadow Broker...down that hallway...alley behind the transit station."

"Mac, he sent her into a trap!"

Machias nodded, tossing Fist to the floor. "If I were you, Fist, I wouldn't dare move an inch. Wait for Shepard and his people to pick you up." He turned to Megani. "Lead the way!" They turned and went down the hallway indicated.

Fist sat there, then suddenly remembered the computer. He pulled it back on the desk and groaned as he realized the accounts were locked, he'd only been able to get away with about three hundred thousand. On Thessia, that'd last him a decade, and that was IF he was being stingy. When he thought about the millions now far away from his grasp, he was almost _grateful_ when Shepard, Williams and Garrus entered the room.

Of course, when Urdnot Wrex entered, he was considerably less grateful.

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.

"Here she comes."

The turian looked at the other turians and the two salarians waiting for her, motioning to them to stay low and out of sight. The quarian female, wearing a purple-colored envirosuit and a helmet, walked cautiously towards him. The turian nodded approvingly. "Did you bring it?" he asked insistently as she got closer.

"Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?' she asked in return.

The turian smiled. He always loved hearing a quarian's accent, made them even more desirable to him. "They'll be here." He reached up, putting a hand on her shoulder, then running it down her arm. "You got the evidence?"

She slapped the hand away. "No way. The deal's off."

The turian stepped back, as if to say, "Suit yourself." then turned to his friends, salarians on the left, turians on the right. The quarian looked at both of them, then pulled out a small sphere and dropped it between them. As she turned away from them, the grenade went off, causing a bright flash. She tried to make a break for it, but the salarians recovered to quickly and she was forced to dive for cover.

"Move in on her, but don't hurt her. She'll make a nice trophy!" The turian smiled, stepping forward, then he stumbled back as a blast hit him in the shoulder. He looked up to see an asari and a human walking down on them, firing as they came.

Megani moved to take cover next to the quarian, who was watching the human. "What is he doing, he's going to get himself killed!"

"Don't worry about _him._" Megani started taking shots at the turians, who were firing at him and watching their shots miss. The quarian looked on in awe as the human moved in on them, showing no fear or hesitation.

The salarians took one look at Machias coming on and there was something about his appearance that seemed...unbearably terrifying. They turned and ran away down the other side of the alley. The turians held on, but Megani took the leader and one of his followers with a shot for each of them. The last turian couldn't believe how fast things had turned on him. A single, young, unarmed quarian was easy prey.

But this _human… _He turned and ran after the salarians as if the devil himself was on his heels.

Machias turned back after the turian was gone. Megani was looking the quarian over for any damage to her suit. The quarian, however, wasn't concerned about her suit. "Fist set me up! I KNEW I couldn't trust him!"

"Are you all right?" Megani asked.

"I know how to look after myself...not that I don't appreciate the help." She turned to Machias. "Who _are_ you?" she asked them, a hint of wonder in her voice.

"My name is Machias Castle, and my friend is Megani Y'Kasia. We're looking for evidence to prove that a turian Spectre named Nihlus is a traitor."

"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life," she said, then turned as she saw others entering the alley. "I hope these are friends of yours…"

Machias turned to see Shepard, Garrus, Williams and the red-crested krogan enter the alley. "Well, Castle, don't you turn up in the darndest places?" Williams said with a chuckle, although Machias could tell she was hiding her suspicion.

"Listen, I have the information you want, but we can't do this here. We need to be somewhere safe."

Garrus nodded. "We better take this to the Human Embassy. You ambassador will want to have a talk with her, anyways."

The quarian shifted herself slightly towards Machias. Shepard caught the motion and smiled. "Mac, Meg, I think you two have been on the outside long enough. Come with us?"

Machias smiled. "Just try and keep me away." He turned to the quarian. "What's your name?"

"My name is Tali'zorah vas Neema." She fidgeted slightly. "But you can just call me Tali."

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TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Chapter 8

Of Citadels And Castles, Part 8: Machias Castle, US Marshal...and Council Spectre?

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By C. Mage

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"You're not making my life easy, Shepard. Firefights in the Wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how MANY…?" Councillor Udina stopped as he looked at the rest of the people starting to fill the foyer of his office. "What are you up to, Shepard? At what point did you feel it was necessary to invite half the population of the Citadel to my office?"

"We're here to make your day, Udina. We've got new evidence, implicating another turian Spectre by the name of Nihlus. Nihlus has been covering up his activities." Shepard stood to one side as Tali stepped forward. She'd been standing in Machias' shadow since the ambush, and she looked up at Machias as if looking for permission or reassurance.

"It's all right, Tali. You're among friends." Machias smiled gently.

Tali nodded and walked in front of Udina. However, Udina did little to hide his skepticism. "And you are, Miss…?"

"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah vas Neema."

"And what evidence do you have?" Udina asked skeptically.

"I salvaged a chip from the memory core of a geth." She took out a small metal box. "Normally, geth will self-destruct once defeated, in order to keep their secrets from being revealed, but if you know what you're doing, and you're lucky, it's possible to salvage information."

"Stands to reason," Garrus said knowingly, "since the quarians created the geth to begin with."

Tali activated the data reader, and a new voice was heard. "Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

Then another voice came from the device, this one female. "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

"I know that first voice." Eyes turned to Garrus. "That's another turian Spectre. Nihlus."

"This would be a catastrophe if it got out that Saren covered up the crimes of a rogue Spectre, not to mention generate sympathy for the Alliance." Anderson turned to Shepard. "No wonder Saren doesn't want this getting out."

"I'll call the Council to reconvene immediately, now that we have proof." Udina walked quikly to a terminal and started typing away.

Shepard turned to the others assembled there. "Thank you, all of you. The truth came out, but only because our combined efforts. But there's more and I'm going to continue to need your help. Nihlus is working with the geth, and he needs to be stopped."

Machias turned to Megani. "What do you think?"

Megani looked taken aback. "About what?"

"I think these people could use some help. You saw what they'd be up against. We've got a common enemy, here."

Megani looked at Machias. "I do not think you would be better off working in a military group just yet. There's still too much you have to learn about this galaxy, and I think your abilities would be better served working on your own. Plus, you still need my care, and it is my professional opinion that you need more time to properly transition to where you are."

Machias looked at her, then nodded. "All right. I've asked you to trust me about magic. Wouldn't be right to ignore your advice when offered. But if we're going to keep doing this, we're gonna need a ship of our own, and a crew to take care of it."

Megani nodded. "Fair enough."

"Mac?"

Machias and Megani turned to Shepard. "Yes?"

"You might want to join us for this. We're heading to meet with the Council now."

Machias nodded. "Lead the way."

.

.

"You wanted proof of treachery. There it is...and Saren was complicit in covering it up."

The council debated for a moment, then the Turian Councillor said, "Nihlus is hereby stripped of his Spectre status, effective immediately. All efforts will be made for his arrest and have him answer for his crimes. An investigation will begin immediately to measure the scope of Saren's involvement, and to determine if punishment is warranted." Megani didn't need a psych degree to understand why the Councillor was grinding his beak over this. Both Sarem and Nihlus were heroes to their people.

"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Nihlus," the Asari Councillor said, "Matriarch Benezia. She is an asari, a powerful biotic, and a spiritual leader with many followers. She will be of great assistance to Nihlus if she's working with him."

The Salarian Councillor interjected, "I'm more interested in these... Reapers. What do you know about them?"

Udina turned to Shepard, who turned to Tali. Tali spoke hesitantly. "According to the geth memory core, the Reapers were a hyper advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago. Reapers hunted the protheans to total extinction, then...vanished. The geth see the Reapers as Gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Nihlus knows how to bring the Reapers back, most likely through the Conduit."

Machias nodded. "That's what I saw. Connecting to the beacon transferred...information, images and memories of the protheans being wiped out by the Reapers!"

Shepard nodded. "That's it!"

Captain Anderson turned towards the Council. "You must send the Citadel Fleet to find Nihlus. Obviously this Conduit is the key to bringing back the Reapers."

The Salarian Councillor shook his head. "We don't even know what the Conduit is."

"I've heard of Reapers before, but listen to what you're saying. Nihlus is attempting to bring back an extinct race, with the help of the geth, to exterminate all life in the galaxy? Impossible." The Turian Councilor shook his head.

"Where did the Reapers go?" the Salarian Councilor mused aloud.

"Vanished. No trace of their very existence," answered the Asari Councilor, not a shred of doubt in her tone.

If they were real," the Turian Councilor confirmed, "we'd have found something."

Shepard listened to this exchange, barely able to believe his ears. "We tried to warn you about Nihlus. You're making the same mistake again!"

The Asari Councilor looked sternly at Shepard. "This is different. You proved Nihlus betrayed the council."

The Salarian Councilor added, "And we now agree Nihlus is using the geth to find the Conduit."

"What we don't know," the Turian Councilor said skeptically, "is why. The Reapers are clearly just a myth."

"A convenient lie to cover his true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the geth to his will."

"What about what we saw?" Machias said, his fists clenched, "What we BOTH saw?"

"Your visions are still not admissable evidence," said the Turian Councilor warningly.

"Fifty-thousand years ago the Reapers wiped out galactic civilization. If Nihlus finds the Conduit, _it will happen again_."

"Nihlus is a rogue agent, who will now be on the run for his life without the resources of being a Spectre. It's a matter of time before he's caught." the Turian Councilor said slowly.

"We're already out of time!" Anderson countered. "The more we talk, the stronger position Nihlus is in. Send in the Citadel fleet!"

The Turian Councilor looked irritated at the points being pressed. "Out of the question! We are not starting a galactic war over this."

"Then allow me to go after him. Give me the backing I need to bring him in!"

The Turian Councilor shook his head. "No. It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres."

"Funny thing, that," Machias said dryly. "It was a Turian Spectre who betrayed this Council, another Turian Spectre who covered it up, and it was humans who exposed them!"

The Council looked at them, then began to talk amongst themselves.

Garrus turned to Wrex. "What do you think?"

"I think things are about to get a lot more interesting," he rumbled, a smile on his face.

They stopped, then faced the group again, apparently reaching a consensus and nod to Shepard, who took a step forward. Machias noted the Asari Councilor was looking at him for a moment, unsure what to make of that. Then the councilors turned to make a note on the data pads in front of them.

The Asari Councilor said, "Commander Shepard. It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

The Salarian Councilor continued, "Spectres aren't trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle. Those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

The Asari Councilor smiled slightly as she added, "Spectres are an ideal. A symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self reliance. They are the right hand of the Council. Instruments of our will."

The Turian Councilor took it from there. "Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace. Both our first, and last, line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first human spectre," finished the Asari Councilor with a slight smile, as if she'd been hoping for this outcome already, "Commander, this a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."

Shepard nodded gravely. "I am honored, Councilors."

"Shepard, we are sending you after Nihlus. You are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"I won't let you down."

The Council seemed satisfied with Shepard's answer, the Asari Councilor said, "The trial is adjourned."

.

.

Shepard turned to Anderson, who nodded approvingly. "Congratulations, commander!"

Udina, however, was not as enthusiastic. "There's a lot of work to do, Shepard. Best get to it. This is but a small victory. I'll be awaiting mission status reports."

"Of course...but I'm going to need a ship."

"And a crew," Udina added.

Shepard looked at Tali, Garrus, Ashley, Kaiden, Wrex, Machias and Megani. "I've already found a worthy team," he said with a smile.

Anderson nodded. "Then you can have my ship, and the operational crew who comes with it."

"Excuse me, folks, but before I get branded, I'm going to have to decline your invitation. For now," Machias added quickly. "There's a few things I need to understand about this galaxy and the people in it, and until I do, I'm afraid I'll be more of a hindrance than a help."

Shepard nodded. "If you want it, there'll be a place for you with my team whenever you feel you're ready."

Megani smiled. "Let me get your comm numbers. Just in case."

"In the meantime...I've got to look into getting my own ship to get around in. Problem is, I don't know a whole lot about what makes for a good ship."

"I will help...if you don't mind me joining your crew."

Machias and Megani turned to look at Tali. "You want to ride with me?" Machias asked.

"If you mean join you, yes, I-I would. I have lived aboard ships all my life, and I could make sure you'll find something that would suit your needs. I could also help you select a crew, and make sure it runs efficiently and safely."

Megani turned to Machias. "She's right about that. Few people can handle running a ship like a quarian."

Machias nodded. "Tali'Zorah, you're on. Welcome to my crew."

Tali nodded quickly, then said, "I can lead you to the reliable dealers and mechanics, help you get the best deals…"

"Whoa, Tali, hold your horses. I say we get something to eat, first. This is my first ship, I want to make sure I know what I'm getting."

"Your FIRST?" Tali looked awestruck...well, as awestruck as body language could display. "I've never helped someone get their first ship before."

"Yes, so please, be gentle with him," Megani said with an impish smile.

Machias sighed. "Why do I get the feeling someone is having fun at my expense again?"

"Maybe you're using the Sight," Megani snickered.

"The Sight?" Tali turned to Machias.

"Yes, it's...well, it's a long story." Tali leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "Ah. Well, it's also somewhat hard to believe."

"Try me," Tali said levelly.

.

.

When Machias finished with his story, Tali was still facing him, but behind the visor, it was hard to tell if she was simply looking at him...or staring. Machias sipped his coffee. He was starting to really like the way it was made in this time period. "So. Be honest. Just how badly do you think I require the services of Dr. Y'Kasia?"

"If it were anyone else, I would say you were categorically insane...but there's no denying that what you were using to fight the Shadow Broker's men was clearly not any sort of biotics I've ever seen." Tali sat up. "What else can you do?"

"Everyone wants a demonstration." Machias took another sip. "Well, I've made food, caused taxis to malfunction and brought a guest into the Nevernever. What did you have in mind?"

Tali considered, then stood up and walked over to a nearby rock garden, picking up a large specimen, roughly the size of a softball, and brought it over to the table. "You say you can work with the elements. What can you do with this?"

Machias set the cup down. "I feel like I'm showing off, but here goes." Tali watched as he traced designs over the rock, then held his open palms to either side, closing his eyes and muttering. The rock began to glow a dull orange, and in the space of thirty seconds, reshaped itself into a rather good sculpture of Megani in her Wild West outfit, about a foot high. He opened his eyes and moved his hands to the table. "Well?"

Tali and Megani were both staring...not to mention a few onlookers from some nearby tables. "...KEELAH…!" Tali said in awe. "YOU ARE A PRISI'LAI…!"

"A what?"

Tali picked up the statuette, moving it over and over in her hands, "In the beginnings of quarian time, there were males and females born with the ability to manipulate matter and energy using their own force of will. They shaped the surface of Rannoch itself, literally terraforming it to suit their needs. They made the planet safer for our people, eradicating sickness and plague long ago. Until we left our him, it was unfathomable for any quarian to become sick." She sighed. "Little did we know that our autoimmune systems atrophied as a result. By the time we realized what had happened, there were no more _prisi'lai_ left. The more we depended upon technology, the less we needed them, and they faded away into legend, then into myth. The power they used was called _laisei_. It might translate into Terran as 'lifeblood of the world'."  
"That's not that bad a translation, actually."

Tali looked at Machias intently. "If you can help me solve a mystery for my people, I shall pledge myself to you as an indentured servitude indefinitely. I think you may be the only one who can solve this."

"Wait. 'Indentured servitude', last I checked, sounded way too close to the concept of 'slavery' for my tastes. I don't keep slaves, and I don't much cotton to the idea of it to begin with."

Tali slumped. "But it's the only thing I have to offer, except…"

Machias blinked. Megani smirked. "WHOA WHOA WHOA!" Machias said quickly. "I ain't that kind of man!"

"Then you won't help me?" Tali said, a little confused.

"I never said that, Tali."

"But I have nothing else to offer you for this."

"Who said you had to offer me anything?"

"Wait. I do not understand."

"What Machias is trying to say, in his own adorably confusing way, is that he's offering to help you for free." Megani chuckled.

Tali looked between the two of them. "It has been my experience that humans never offer to do anything for free...and most seem to desire payment involving physical intimacy and...I should really shut up now, shouldn't I?" Megani saw that, right below Tali's eyes were a slight color change and Megani realized Tali was blushing, and she wasn't the only one. Machias looked like his cheeks would start spontaneously bleeding any second.

"Criminy, girl...look, Tali, just tell me what happened, and that way, I can see what I can do to help."

"I can't talk about it here. Not in public. Follow me."

.

.

"This is where you live?" Megani asked incredulously.

"For now. Hopefully, my new quarters will be a little more comfortable."

Megani looked around. "That is almost a certainty. This is a SHIPPING CONTAINER."

Machias looked inside. "I don't see what the problem is. This is bigger than the house I grew up in."

"Was your house in danger of being lifted into the air and carried off to somewhere alien?"

Machias turned to Megani. "One of my parents _was_ a Wizard. The possibility of that DID exist."

"Machias, whatever ship we get WILL have proper sleeping quarters for the crew," Megani "advised" firmly.

"Of course." He turned to Tali. "So, tell us. What is this all about?"

"It's about the ship I grew up on. The _Rayya._"

"What happened to it?"

Tali leaned closer. "It crashed almost seven galactic years ago. Barely half the people on the _Rayya_ managed to escape before it crashlanded on an unexplored planet."

"That sounds horrible..what happened?" Megani asked. "Was it mechanical failure?"

"That's just it. The _Rayya_ was in perfect mechanical condition. Something happened to it that caused every single major system to fail, all at once. Even the failsafe systems...and that's never happened before. It's supposed to be IMPOSSIBLE." Tali spoke in a hushed tone. "No one has been ever been able to determine what happened, but there were rumors that it was sabotaged, that the captain caused it to happen, that it was caused by geth interference. But to have it happen like that...I think something else happened."

"Like what?"

"I do not know…" She turned to Machias. "But then, before, I was not in the company of a _prisi'lai_, especially not one trained in detection and deduction. Help me find out what happened to the _Rayya_ and there will be no place in the universe where I will not follow you."

Machias looked at Tali for a long time. "Tali, I'll do everything I can to help you, but on one condition. No more of this servant or slave stuff. The only thing I want from you is the chance to earn your friendship and your respect, on its own merits, not because I'm helping you."

Tali nodded. "If that is what you wish."

"Well, right now, I wish you to pack up your kit and come with us. We've got to find us a ship."

.

.

As they walked, Megani caught Tali's visor was mostly looking at Machias. Megani wondered if there were any cultural issues with relationships concerning the _prisi'lais,_ and if there were any privileges that came with the title. "Tali, tell us more about what being a _prisi'lai_ means in quarian culture."

Tali was only too eager to share. "They were considered natural leaders, and some were even worshipped as divine beings, either out of respect or out of fear. Quarians in that time period lived in territories, each governed by a leader who was either a _prisi'lai_ or worked in cooperation with one. Good and noble _prisi'lais_ were protectors, defenders, healers. Evil _prisi'lais_ were conquerors, despots...or lone destroyers. It is rare to find a _prisi'lai_ is somewhere in the middle, who is neither leaned towards one side or the other."

"For good reason. White magic creates and heals. Black magic not only corrupts and destroys, but eats away at the user, until one day, he's not using the Black, it's using HIM."

Tali nodded sagely. "_Prisi'lai_ were often given great privileges as a result of their status, although the evil ones weren't given privileges, they just took them. For example, it was rare for a _prisi'lai_ not to have more than one wife or less than three concubines."

Machias blinked. "Excuse me? That seems a little...exhausting."

"At the time, it was accepted simply because it increased the likelihood that any offspring born from the union would have a better chance of being another future _prisi'lai._ Our population was not as numerous as it was before...the geth...back then."

"The more of these powerful quarians per territory, the more powerful the territory itself. Makes sense," Megani agreed.

"Wizards are the same way. While you don't have to have Wizard blood in your veins to do magic, being a Wizard means you have a hereditary advantage over other practitioners."

"Do you have additional wives or concubines?" Tali asked.

Machias' reply was in a voice that seemed to weigh as much as the Citadel as it hit the air.. "I had a wife...once."

Tali missed a step as she got the implication. "When you travelled in time?"

"When I got _kidnaped _through time."

Everyone was silent after that until they got to the docks. Megani knew Machias was still hurting over the loss of his family, but he was getting better at grieving. It was clear that it would be some time before he started thinking about other women in any way that could be considered romantic.

For some reason, she found that thought rather disappointing...and she wondered if Tali might've also had similar thoughts. She'd been walking around in a state of near-awe ever since she saw him using magic, a walking myth, and one that was one of the proverbial "Good Guys" to boot. Tali'Zorah seemed rather young...odd, since they usually referred to themselves with the "nar" designation while they were on their Pilgrimage and "vas" after they'd made it through their rite of passage… "Tali?"  
"Yes?" Tali replied, seeming relieved at the possible change of subject.

"Are you on your Pilgrimage?"

"...yes. About that…" Tali said sheepishly.

"I noticed the designation you were using," Megani said simply.

"Yes...the survivors of the _Rayya_ are considered...cursed. To avoid being ostracized, we took on the names of the ships we were re-assigned to after the catastrophe. It's the sort of thing everyone knows, but nobody wants to talk about. As long as we keep our heads down and do what we're supposed to, no one will harass us for it."

"That ain't right," Machias said darkly, "and I had enough of things that ain't right. Come on, pick yer feet up. I ain't putting my head to rest until we got us a ship."

.

.

"So," Machias said as they arrived at the brokerage offices, "how does one get a ship?"

Tali pointed to the message boards. "Each of those boards indicates a ship manufacturer. Most manufacturers have different models for purchase of ships already designed and made. You pick the ship that suits your needs and your budget and the manufacturer has your ship piloted from the shipyards to you. You pay the money, which goes into an escrow account while the ship is being delivered. The manufacturer doesn't receive the money until the buyer is satisfied with the ship and any extras."

"Extras?" Machias asked. "What are 'extras'?"

"Changes made to the stock design. Better engines, better weapons, better hardware, better furnishings, options to add functions to the ship. Many quarians often work as indentured servants in the shipyards due to our natural aptitudes with building and fixing starships." Tali smiled behind her visor; it was gratifying to be able to provide this information to Machias. It had been somewhat intimidating, being around him. Seeing his power and hearing about his exploits only proved in her mind that he must be a truly powerful _prisi'lai_, and one noble in character, to boot. It was like something out of one of her story datacubes, a legend come to life.

Her chances of finding out the truth about the _Rayya_ just got considerably more promising.

"They better be treated well…" Machias said ominously. "All right. I understand the concept of a 'stock' model. What about something made from scratch? How long would that take?"

"It could take months to create a design from scratch. It would have to be built, tested for design flaws, modified…"

"Yeah, scratch that out. The Reapers ain't gonna wait." He looked at the screens, but the more he looked at the ships, the less he understood about them. "Aw, this is gonna take forever. I don't get half the stuff these boys think is so important."

"Machias, wait. You travelled all over the world you knew on a horse, right?"

"A what?" Tali asked.

"Quadrupedal pack animal," Megani explained.

"Oh."

Machias considered. "Of course."

"And what sort of qualities did you look for in a horse?"

Machias considered. "Well, he had to be big and fast, with plenty of endurance. One that wouldn't spook easily in combat. Not too picky about his feed. Loyal and brave. Smart, too. One that wouldn't mind carrying an extra load now and then, bring lawbreakers in to be imprisoned." He turned to look at Megani, who was smiling. "Why?"

"Tali, what can we find that'll have similar qualities?"

Tali looked at the boards, paying close attention not only to the ships available, but the manufacturers as well. "Hmmmm...it would something that could be staffed by a minimal crew. That means it would have to be an advanced design, and advanced designs are rarely affordable."

Megani chuckled. "Humor us. If money were no object," she said, adding mentally, _because it isn't,_ "what would be the ship that YOU would choose?"

Tali walked over to a manufacturer that, from the looks of their product lines, dealt with a lot of luxury ships and military-grade ships in equal measure. "This one. It's expensive, but worth every credit. All of the systems can be controlled with a complex VI, but a larger crew can have different functions transferred to manual control. It's a small frigate, normally crews no more than seventy, but as long as we don't get involved in too many space battles, this is a ship I would get if I had a bottomless credit account."

Megani turned to Machias. "She IS the ship expert."

Machias nodded. "Just one more thing I'd like to know."

"What would be the cheaper choice?" Tali asked, somewhat disappointed. She liked Choice #1..

"No." Machias smiled. "Does it come in black?"

.

.

Thelo Ken was a very frustrated volus.

The company he worked for, Cord-Hisplop, made all kinds of ships, but the department he was assigned to was always working for making quotas for ships that normal customers couldn't afford or really need, leaving the remainder of the clientele towards the very rich and the military. And Citrala Yus, damn her to the Void, had most of the military contracts in the area sewn up.

Thelo Ken may not have been the top salesvolus in the company, but he hadn't missed his quota since he was a newcomer in the company. But unless he made quota in the next few days, it would be a black mark on his record, one he couldn't afford to have. There were no wars going on, which meant a lack of reliable means of providing one of the more lucrative means of income, extended maintenance plans.

So when he saw the human, the asari and the quarian walk over to his station, he knew that he wasn't going to go out having given up. The human wasn't dressed like a rich man, but Thelo Ken decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Good day, Earth-clan. I am Thelo Ken, and I am a fully-authorized vendor for Cord-Hislop Aerospace. How may I assist you today?"

The human reached over, offering his hand. "Machias Castle. A pleasure to meet you." Thelo was well versed in human cultural aspects, and understand this was a common greeting, but the undertones indicated a predilection towards a serious inquiry, instead of the normal lookie-loos, as the human salespeople often referred to them.

"The pleasure is mine, Earth-Clan. Please, have a seat."

"Thank ya kindly." Thelo felt a few stirrings of hope. This human was particularly polite. "Now then, let's get down to business. I've been looking to purchase a ship, something reliable, a workhorse, but versatile enough to handle the unexpected. As I understand from my colleague here," he said, indicating the quarian, "your Theseus model would fit the bill perfectly."

Thelo brightened considerably, but was guardedly hopeful. "It is indeed a fine vessel. Am I to understand that you wish to work with a VI to handle the bulk of starship operations?"

"Yep. In fact, I want the most advanced one you have. I am somewhat particular about the company I keep."

"Of course. I can certainly add that in."

"Good. Got one in black?"

"I do have one in that color. In fact, there is one currently docked at our corporate docks. If it meets your specifications, we can begin the installations of the VI and any other hardware you wish." Thelo was still guarded, then decided to take a risk. "If you are determined towards a sale today, I can have our computers run the appropriate credit checks while we tour the ship."

The human blinked. "Credit checks? Pardon my ignorance, but could you explain what that means?"

"Well, it means that we run your information against the extranet financial network to measure what sort of payment plan you could afford on a periodic basis, along with whatever interest applies." Thelo Ken was a little surprised, not to mention suspicious. "If your credit level was below a certain range, you would be making larger payments, but that is…"

"OH! Oh, sorry, you don't understand, Mr. Ken. I'm not interested in making payments. I want to pay for it all, in full, today."

Thelo Ken blinked. A payment in full would not only put him over quota, but would be a sizable commission, to boot. "To do that, Earth-Clan, I would need a confirmation of the funds needed to make the payment. Your credit stick, please?"

Machias nodded, then handed over the the ebony cylinder. Thelo Ken took it, glad to see his suit didn't display facial expressions. He'd only seen an ebony credit stick twice in his professional life...and this was the second. He slid it into his terminal and ran the check.

According to what he saw as the result, this human could afford a small FLEET of those ships...with all the options! He withdrew the slim cylinder from the terminal and handed it back, acting as if this happened to him every day. "Earth-Clan, I am pleased to say that, from what I have learned, not only will we be able to conduct business, but any options and other requirements for outfitting the ship can be conducted within the space of a week."

Machias nodded. "That'd be just fine. Look, I am somewhat under a bit of a deadline, here. I have been instructed that your company has places all over the galaxy that can handle repairs, and that you have a service that makes it easier to have those repairs made quickly and less expensive. I want one of those, that covers the ship and all the equipment on it. Also, I want you to walk me through what can be done with the ship to make it tougher, better armed and provide some amenities like cooking food, storing provisions." Machias put a hand on Thelo Ken's shoulder. "When I make a deal with another person, I want there to be ongoing trust between myself and them. I don't make deals with big companies, I make deals with a person. You deal with me as a volus of honor and integrity, and I will not deal with any other person in your company except for you. If for some reason your company makes the mistake of firing a person with that honor and integrity, then whatever company you do go to, that's where I'll take my business. Do we understand each other?"

Thelo Ken was silent for a time. This human didn't ask for things other customers did. And there was something...formidable about him. "Earth-Clan, if that's the kind of customer service you require, then I, Thelo Ken, will be your volus."

"Good man. Now, let's go look at this model."

Thelo Ken almost floated all the way to the docks.

.

.

"What do you think?" Thelo Ken said, once the tour was completed.

"I gotta say, this is mighty impressive. Tali, what do you think?"

Tali nodded. "It is well-built, agile and powerful." She walked over to Thelo Ken, activating her omnitool. "These are the changes we would like to make to the stock model. Upgraded engines, armor, weapons, two shuttles for the shuttle bay, upgraded sensors, changes to the furnishings and floors, and upgraded kitchen and food storage."

Thelo Ken looked over the changes. "We can have the changes made in a week. We can have them made sooner, but there will be an additional cost."

Machias turned to Thelo Ken. "Can you have it ready in three days?"

Thelo Ken thought about simply saying yes to keep the client, but then he remembered what Machias had told him. "No. The soonest I can have it ready is in four days. I apologize."

Machias smiled. "Four days will be acceptable. Let's get back to your office. I want to get started as soon as possible."

"Of course, Earth-Clan."

"Uh, one more thing." Machias turned to Thelo Ken. "I would appreciate it if you would call me Machias, or simply 'Mac'. Trust begins with first names."

Thelo Ken nodded. "Of course...Machias."

"Do you prefer Thelo or Ken?"

"Thelo, actually."

"Good." As they walked back to the office, Machias continued. "I was serious about how I do business, Thelo. I want it stated on the bill of sale and the extended service contract that I will talk to you and no one else in the company. If you are out, I will wait until you come back in. I will accept contact with no other person unless you say it's okay first. That company loses you, they lose my business. Make sure they understand that."

"As you wish, Machias."

"Good. I hate having to do business with a group. Makes my head hurt."

"Once payment is rendered, Machias, we can begin registration of the starship. Did you have an idea of what name you wanted to the registry?"

"Yes. Call her, 'Tin Star'." Machias smiled.

"Done. May I ask the significance of the name?"

"It's my badge, the one I wore when I was a lawman on my home planet. I guess you could say it was my world's version of a Council Spectre."

_A law-enforcement human? That explained a great deal,_ Thelo Ken thought. "Do you still uphold the law on Earth?"

Machias chuckled. "You might say my jurisdiction got a whole lot bigger."

They made their way back to the office, and Machias completed the transaction, including the extra work, the extra service and the extra maintenance, along with a healthy tip for Thelo Ken. Machias and Thelo Ken stood up, and this time, it was the volus who stuck his hand out first. "It's a singular pleasure having your business, Machias."

"A pleasure doing business with you. Keep me posted on the progress."

After they left the office, Megani spoke up. "I know you wanted me to play the silent partner on this, but I was curious. What made you choose him out of all the salespeople in that office?"

"Easy. I checked out his aura. Of all the people there, he gave me the impression of being the most honest and most forthright. I've dealt with horse traders, cattlemen, shopkeepers and big business types, and I used the same rules with all of them. Never regretted it." He turned to Tali. "Thanks for keeping track of all that. I couldn't make heads or tails out of almost everything he said and thanks to you, I didn't seem like an idiot."

Tali nodded, suddenly feeling warm inside her suit.

"All right, let's get something to eat. All this jawin' about the _Tin Star_ has got me working up an appetite...and both of you can help explain to me in terms I can fathom about what it is I just bought."

.

.

As the transaction was recorded and the details sent up to the main databank at Cord-Hislop Aerospace, certain factors about the transaction, including the name, were copied and sent to a different location. From there, it was sent through different relays to cover its true point of origin, where it ended up at a space station out in the middle of nowhere.

The person in charge of both the station, as well as Cord-Hislop, opened the data and added it to an ongoing file started a few months ago. He looked it over carefully, checking to make sure the data was correct, then compared it to the other data he'd gathered on Machias. The information from the Marshals. The events of Eden Prime. The mysterious incident in the mess hall on the _Normandy_. The attacks on the Citadel. And now this.

It was time to see if it was all true.

He tapped a button on his chair. "Tell Operative Lawson to come to my office. I need fresh eyes on an operation, eyes I can trust not to be fooled by a charlatan."

"Right away, sir."

The man in the chair tapped the button again to close the comms, then dared a smile. The implications of this being true were too important to overlook. If it _was_ true...then Humanity's Superiority was assured.

.

.

"THAT'S what that does?" Machias shook his head. "I didn't even know that was a PROBLEM before you mentioned that."

Tali nodded, feeling full and satisfied. Going on the Pilgrimage might be necessary, but roughing it was one part Tali had never liked.

As they walked back to Machias' suite, Tali asked, "Where am I going to sleep?"

"Oh, I've got more room than I know what to do with. I'm sure we could find you a…" He stopped. "Megani?"

"Yes, Mac?" she asked, right before she saw what Machias was looking at.

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing when you find two asari in dresses flanking your front door?"

Megani moved forward until she was halfway between Machias and the two asari. "May we help you?" she asked in a neutral tone.

"The Consort awaits you," said the asari on the left.

Megani took a closer look at her. "Wait, you're Nelyna's friend, Asreai. Why is the Consort here?"

"She is here for guidance." Asreai pointed to Machias. "She wishes to speak to him."

Machias blinked. "Well...I'll try to oblige. Let's go."

"No. The Consort wishes to see him alone."

Machias turned to Megani, who nodded, seeming to understand more about this than Machias did. "Don't worry, Machias. It's not what you might think."

Machias turned to Tali, who nodded, however reluctantly. Machias stepped forward and opened the doors to his suite, closing them behind him. As he walked in, he noticed the lights were slightly dimmed, and there was flickering light coming from the main room. He walked further in to see the Consort sitting on the sofa, looking towards the fireplace. She turned slowly as he came in. She was smiling...and crying at the same time. Machias walked over in front of her. "Are you all right?"

She wiped her eyes, then gestured for him to sit beside her. "You cannot know...I thought I would never see one like you. You have the Gift. The ability to perceive into the soul of another, to understand them like no one else can."

"You mean, the Sight?"

"Is that what you call it?" The Consort smiled. "I have never known of anyone else with the Gift. I thought I was the only one in the galaxy burdened with such responsibility."

"That's it...that's how you're able to understand what all your clients need. You read their auras using the Sight, and provide them with the help they require." He nodded. "Nice work, if you can get it, I suppose."

"You disapprove of what I do?"

"No, I don't disapprove. It's a tough galaxy out there, and you're not using the Sight to be a spy or someone malicious. You're really trying to help people. Of course, you make it a job, and a well-paying job at that, but that's not wrong. Just not the choice I'd make."

"Of course. I saw you, Machias Castle...I've never seen an aura so powerful before in my life. The others that come to me...compared to you, they're simply shadows. Who are you? What are you? I HAVE to know."

Machias saw and heard the intensity in her body language and voice. "I'll tell you… but I want everyone outside my suite _in_ my suite before I tell you."

"Why?"

"Because you're not the only one who needs to hear this."

.

.

"We all here?" Machias looked around. Four asari, one quarian and himself. "Good. Now, all of you have ideas about what I am according to your own cultures and perceptions. But this is getting a little out of hand, here. Everyone's been telling me what they think I am. Now, I'd like the chance to say what I really am." Machias sat down. "I am a Wizard. On my world, that means someone who possesses the power to use magic, all kinds of magic. There were other kinds of practitioners out there, but many of them weren't as powerful, or limited to a particular type of magic. Wizards can do it all, but not everyone can be a Wizard. For one thing, Wizards come from bloodlines of other Wizards. It's a hereditary talent, and although not every member of that bloodline can be a Wizard, many usually are. Also, even within the same bloodline, some members have more potential than others."

Megani saw the Consort's reaction when Machias mentioned "bloodlines". It was clear that Sha'ira thought quite favorably of the idea of seeing what such a human bloodline would do for an asari family line.

"Now, what this means is that I have a responsibility to use magic for good. Magic comes from life and embodies life and creation. Magic used maliciously, or murderously, is a violation of that, and it comes with consequences. It corrupts, like a festering wound that won't heal. The more you use it, the less of the original you there is, until you find the Black is in control...and you're just the vehicle it's driving."

"Why are you telling us this, Mr. Castle?" Asreai asked.

"Because there are two things I need to tell you. One, I've discovered that humans aren't the only ones who can use magic. I have seen proof of that. Two...I've also seen what can happen when people get too much power, too fast...or want it badly enough to do something they might not normally do. So I want to ask a favor of you. If you know of others who might have power like this...contact me. I don't want them going down the wrong path if there's a way I can teach them to use magic to help others instead of harm them."

Megani smiled. Machias had cleverly put people in a position to not only seek out others who might have answers...and he had recognized that the Consort may well have wanted more than to have a gift recognized. She might have thought to secure that gift, and others, by having Machias provide a few...genetic advantages. _At one point, I'm going to have to teach him more about how asari have children...so he can avoid having any unwanted ones. You know, because the Consort may have taken advantage of his lack of knowledge. Right. The Consort._

"I want to thank you all for being here, because it helps me realize I may not be as alone here as I originally thought. Megani will give you all the means to contact me. Call anytime."

Sha'ira smiled. "You may count on that, Machias."

Tali and Megani watched as they left. Machias was over at the bar, pouring himself a shot of whiskey, and taking a pull on it. "That...was close. I thought she was going to rip my clothes off and have her way with me."

"She DID?" both Megani and Tali said, outraged, then turned to each other, suddenly embarrassed. Machias looked at them, then shrugged. "I am going to take myself a little siesta. Let me know if any other celebrities show up."

"What's a 'siesta'?" Tali asked.

"His way of saying 'a nap'," Megani said with a smirk.

"Oh."

Machias went to his room and closed the door behind him, then started taking off his shoes. A knock at his door stopped him just as he was about to remove his shirt "This had BETTER be important…" he muttered, opening the door…

...and looking out into a field of barley. Standing a few feet away was a thin, young man, with blond hair, piercing yellow eyes and wearing an outfit similar to Machias' old outfit.

Machias recognized him immediately, then stepped back into the room. "Come on in."

The man entered and walked over to the desk, pulling out the chair and sitting down. "It's been a long time, Castle."

"Was only a year for me, but you already know that, don't you?" Machias sat down on the bed. "Want to tell me what's going on here?"

"Are you asking me to explain how problematic chronomancy can be? I thought you knew that all too well long before now."

"YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. What happened? The magical races, the Fair Folk, wizards, Red Court, EVERYONE. GONE! The Nevernever on Earth locked against me. WHY?"

"You already know why."

Machias considered, but didn't have to think long. "The Reapers."

"You weren't the first to get visions, and the others didn't have a Prothean Beacon to help them. A threat so destructive and total, the magical races came to an accord for the first time in millennia. The Pact."

"What is the 'Pact'?"

"To migrate all magical races into the Nevernever, or other realms that would hold them, and to close the doors until the storm was over. Then they could clean up the mess and keep going."

"WHERE WERE _YOU_ WHEN THEY DECIDED THIS...INSANITY?"

"Don't get angry at ME, Castle. You know me, remember? They made a choice, out of their own free will. Free will, remember? I could obliterate a galaxy, but I can't punish people for using a gift God gave them. My hands were tied."

Machias looked at the man for a very long time, then closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry, Uriel. I lost everything, my life, my family, and now I'm out here…" He hung his head.

"I know, Castle. You're out here...outside of the Pact. Where you're needed."

Machias looked up suddenly. "What are you saying?" he asked, turning to look at Uriel.

"I have waited hundreds of years for this day, Machias Castle. The only question that remains is...what are you going to do, now that you know?" He smiled, then disappeared.

Machias looked around, then sighed. "I really, really hate it when he does that." He stood up, noting that the chair was back in front of the desk. He could see through the window outside, seeing the arms of the Citadel, all the structures there, all the people that lived in them...and beyond them, a galaxy of living beings that laughed and cried and loved and hurt.

And didn't deserve to be obliterated.

Machias sighed. "Shepard...I'm going to be seeing you again a lot sooner than I thought."

.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	9. Chapter 9

Of Citadels And Castles, Part 9: Resistance Is Feudal

.

By C. Mage

.

.

.

"Well, I appreciate the aesthetics of the renovations, but I am curious." Thelo Ken looked up to Megani. "Normally, the Captain's chair is reasonably close to the command consoles. May I ask why the Captain's chair is much further back and much higher?" He looked at the stairs leading up to the chair.

Megani chuckled. "He's very old-fashioned. You'll note he doesn't have or use an omnitool. He fears that his close proximity to modern technology might cause it to malfunction."

"Ah. Would it be wrong to suggest that your employer is a bit...eccentric?"

"Actually, I think the generally-accepted title is 'strange'...and he doesn't mind. Despite his eccentricities, Machias Castle is a man of character and deeply-held beliefs." Megani said, a secret smile on her lips. "I honestly can't imagine I'd ever work for someone like him anywhere else."

Thelo Ken considered. "How long have you known him?"

"Five months."

"Only five months?"

"Trust me. Five months with Machias Castle carries a lifetime of experiences."

Thelo Ken nodded. "I shall see to the rest of the renovations."

As he left, Tali'Zorah walked in, looking around in wonder. Megani walked over to her. "Everything up to expectations?"

"And more. The ship itself is amazing, but…" Tali looked around covertly. "Is Machias here?"

"No, he went to get some rest. Why? Are you looking for him?"

"Yes, well, no, it's…complicated. Can we talk?"

"Of course."

.

.

Tali led Megani to the room Tali claimed as hers. It wasn't one of the larger rooms, but it seemed to suit Tali just fine. She sat down on the bed and looked at Megani nervously as Megani sat on a chair, across from her. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Is...is Machias a good prisi'lai?" she asked nervously.

"What do you mean?" Megani asked.

"Is he...gentle or forceful? Does he have...strong appetites?" she asked, and Megani couldn't tell if she was fearful or hopeful. "Once he takes me, will I have a favored position and…"

Megani couldn't help it. As she listens, she began to smirk, then snort, then broke into full-on laughter.

"I'm SERIOUS! I want to know what kind of prisi'lai he is, so I can prepare for…"

"Tali'Zorah, I think you have the wrong idea about Machias," she said between chuckles. "By a great measure."

"You mean, he's not going to…" Tali would've registered shock were it not for the visor. "I'm not going to be expected to…"

"Oh, no, no, NO." Megani wiped her eyes.

"But it is his right, how could he not…?"

"Tali'Zorah vas Neema, listen. Just because you think he has the right to do something like that doesn't mean he WILL. In fact, if you suggested the idea to him, I think he'd look at you as if you'd gone crazy."

Tali considered this. "So he's not going to…"

"NO."

Tali's eyes blinked, then her face turned a different color and she bowed her head, holding her faceplace in her gloved hands. "I have made a complete fool out of myself, haven't I?"

"No, of course not. Machias isn't the kind of man to jump to those kinds of conclusions." She leaned forward. "What do you think of him? Not of the prisi'lai, of him."

Tali lifted her head. "You will not tell him?"

"Upon my honor as a doctor."

Tali nodded. "When I first saw him, I thought he was some sort of...alien god. He moves through combat as if everyone else is...just a shadow to him. He was like...a sun giving off solar flares. I was somewhat suspicious of him when he was polite and protective of me, as if he'd already claimed me as part of his mating group. But he made no move upon me, and I felt myself afraid that he was waiting for privacy, and that behind the man was a monster waiting to come out. I was terrified...and yet I was drawn to him, as if he generated his own gravity well."

"I think you may be painting him out to be more powerful than he truly is."

"Even so, quarian legends speak of the prisi'lai and how even some of the most noble were betrayed by their own desires. Power, wealth, members of the opposite sex, property, possessions. Very few were not tragic figures in the end. Undone by their own greed." She looked to the door, as if Machias was standing there. "Then he is not truly prisi'lai?"

"He's something...new."

Tali nodded. "How should I treat him, then?"

"I would suggest as a friend. You've heard his story. I'm the first friend he's got here. That's one of the reasons why he goes out of his way to be friendly. He's lonely. He's the last of his kind. There will be times when he will truly need us, more than he will admit."

Tali sat up slightly. "I understand."

"Good. So, don't worry. He's not going to start up a 'mating group'."

Tali nodded, although she was surprised to find that part of her was actually...DISAPPOINTED by those words. She remembered all the stories she'd read about quarian history, how some of the prisi'lai kept their mates and concubines chained in their lairs like animals...and a tiny part of her remembered how Machias fought and how kind he'd been, thinking, Maybe it really wouldn't be that BAD…

She looked up and realized Megani was looking at her with a particularly discerning look. "Still with me, Tali'Zorah?"

"Yes, of course. I-I-I should check in with the engine room, make sure the VI is integrating well and check it for stressors under complex maneuvers...excuse me." She stood up and walked towards the door and exited the room.

Megani had to laugh, albeit quietly. It really wasn't fair, after all. Tali was a young quarian out on her Pilgrimage, vulnerable in many ways. I really shouldn't take advantage of her naivete this way, and it's not like I'm trying to discourage her from being interested in Mac. I will apologize.

Later.

.

.

Machias sat in the command chair, looking down at the consoles and the display screen in front of him. He'd already inspected the circles and etchings in the metal around the support and stairs leading up to the chair itself. He'd spent a full day preparing the circles and interlocking designs, making sure they were etched deep so pure silver could fill the grooves made by the etchings and circles.

Machias Castle was a firm believer in being prepared.

He nodded, then walked down the steps towards the main console. He heard the side door open and smiled. "Ready to start this hayride, ladies?"

"Absolutely," Megani said, taking a seat at the tactical station. Tali simply nodded, making her way to a seat in front of the engineering station. "I am curious, though...you've been very evasive about the VI you added to the ship. You mentioned that you did a lot of 'customizing' on its persona."

"Not on its persona….on THEIR personas."

Megani blinked. "'Their'?"

"I thought that it might be a good idea to have a different VI assigned to each section of the ship, all designed to work together. That way, if someone tries anything funny against one of 'em, the others can rush in to assist. Thelo Ken told me a little about this 'cyberwarfare' stuff. I couldn't understand much of it, but I do know there's strength in numbers, so I asked Thelo to set up the VI systems to, how did he put it….'accommodate that kind of architecture'? Yeah, that's it."

"How can you tell them apart?" Megani asked, a little concerned.

"I gave them distinct looks and names. They're also set up, so Thelo tells me, to act in the role of 'subordinate assistance in the event the position has a normal set in the position'. That way, they don't get uppity." He faced forward and addressed the air: "Boys, come on out, crew wants ta meetcha."

Seven holographic humans dressed in varying types of fashions from the Old West appeared., each one looking quite different. "Ladies, let me introduce you to the boys. First, the Tactical VI." He pointed to a tall man in black, with a formidable handlebar moustache. "His name's Wyatt."

"Wyatt" walked over to Megani and tipped his hat. "Ma'am," he said politely.

"Next, the Engineering VI." He turned to another man, dressed in similar clothes, not as lean, with a larger and grayer moustache. "This here is Virgil."

"Ma'am," He tipped his hat to Tali. Tali was used to VIs, so very little surprised her about them. But she did find herself intrigued, and decided to learn more about Earth during the 1800s...specifically the Old West.

"Our Medical VI." Mac indicated another slim man, wearing fancier-looking clothes, a thinner moustache and a two-gun rig around his waist. "Call him 'Doc'."

"Ladies," he said, an odd, smooth accent to his voice. There was mischief in his smile.

"Our Sensors and Navigation VI," Machias said, indicating a woman wearing a buckskin dress and carrying a rifle. "This is Annie."

"Hullo, ladies. Don't worry, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for ya." She smiled, not appearing as old as the others. She strongly reminded Megani of Tali.

"Thelo Ken said I needed a 'cyberwarfare' VI, to handle people trying to attack the VIs themselves. So I asked him to find the best VI he could find for that." He turned to another female VI, this one dressed like a saloon girl. She was beautiful and smiling, but it was an EVIL smile, the lure of a born temptress. "This is Kate."

"Mornin', ladies...looking forward to having your back," she said slyly. From the eyes and the smile, though, the only reason she'd have anyone's back would be to achieve the best opportunity to find the right place to put a knife.

"Don't worry about her, you two. She only LOOKS like she'll betray us at a moment's notice. Thelo Ken said that her approach to cyberwarfare is the use of misdirection and giving the attacker a false sense of success." Machias shrugged. "He knows more about this than I do, although I suspect, Tali, that you and she might work well together."

"Who are the other two for?" Megani asked.

"The first is our Inventory and Supplies VI." This one looked less like a gunslinger and more like a storekeeper, apron and all. "He handles making sure we have everything we need for whatever we need, even anticipating them. Call him 'Able'."

He took off a set of holographic spectacles, rubbing them on his apron. "I shall do my best to remain true to my name."

"And last, but not least, the VI that handles our interior security." He pointed to a young man, barely into his teens, but dressed like a gunslinger. "This is 'Billy'."

"How DO, ladies?" he said, tipping his hat to reveal sandy blond hair.

"This is….quite a rogues' gallery you've got her, Machias." Megani put a hand on her hip. "Any plans to redo the decor in the bridge to Early Earth Colonial?"

"Naw, I figure this'll do just fine." Machias drawled. "Tali, tell Annie where the Rayya went down. We're gonna have ourselves a good old fashioned investigation."

"Yes, Captain." Tali said quickly. For the first time since the Rayya went down, she began to feel some real hope that the source of the curse would be revealed, and the social stigma of being part of the Rayya's fall would be abolished at last.

A part of her wondered, and worried, if this was going to be a wild pyjak chase. It occurred to her that she might have blinded herself to any faults, overlooked them in her zeal at discovering that Machias had the power to help her.

Deep space is the last place one wants to be when finding out that you're all alone on a powerful ship with someone who might be a little..frustrated. How would he react? Would he become cruel? Physically abusive? MAGICALLY abusive? Would she wake up one night to find him in her room, doing things to her and…?

She stopped herself. STOP. THINKING. ABOUT. THAT. KEELAH, stop being afraid of him. Or whatever it is that makes you like feeling that way…

.

.

"What's the name of the system we're coming up on?" Machias asked. He'd been walking around the ship, and as always, careful not to touch anything that looked important...which, to him, looked like everything on the ship. He was lucky Thelo Ken had made the controls for his bathroom and other functions in his quarters manually operated using functions like old-fashioned plumbing. The new toilets had taken some getting used to, regardless.

"It's the Mareides system," Annie said from the nearby speakers. "According to the route Tali laid out, the Migrant Fleet passed by this system. The Rayya moved in closer to take samples of the atmosphere and send down a survey team, since the probes they'd sent down sent back favorable results. They came into a stable orbit, then less than an hour later, systems all over the ship began to fail, disastrously. Tali said it was the darndest thing she'd ever seen, and based on how the Rayya was made, it should've been impossible for every single system to fail like that."

"I'm going to the Chair. Take us in on the exact same route the Rayya took. Check with Tali to ensure distance, speed and course."

"Aye-aye, sir."

Machias nodded. Time to find out if I'm right.

.

.

Machias was sitting in the chair, Tali was working with Annie, and Megani was working with Wyatt on Tactical. "We are on approach," Tali said, a hint of caution in her voice. "So far, no change in functions. It was at this time the reports from the probes were being analyzed."

"What was the final judgment on the planet?" Machias asked.

Tali shook her head. "No one knew."

"Can we do the same? Send down probes?"

"Sure thing," Virgil replied. "Sending them down now. Ours are more advanced than the ones the quarians used, so we should get results back faster."

Machias nodded. "Look for things that would make the planet of value to quarians."

"We should be getting results back in a few minutes," Virgil said.

"Actually…" Machias looked down at the sigils and circles surrounding the base of his chair. They were starting to glow. "I think we're getting results a lot sooner than that."

The VIs all regarded the phenomenon. "I cain't tell what's causin' that glow," Virgil said, uncertain.

"That's because the circles and signs are reacting to a magical field surrounding the planet. I can also feel it...Lord-a MIGHTY, but it's a powerful one…" Machias sat down to center himself, concentrate on attuning himself to the planet's mana field. "We're well beyond the altitude of any other planet before I started feeling it...the field around this planet must be excessively powerful to emanate this far from the planet's surface...yes. VERY powerful...hmmmmm…" His brow furrowed and he cocked his head. "There's something else...something intelligent."

"Intelligent? Did the quarians survive the Rayya's fall?" Tali asked.

"Yes...but there's more. MUCH more." He opened his eyes. "Billy, get us a shuttle ready. We're heading down to the planet."

"You got it, boss."

Machias turned to Megani and Tali. "Time to visit the scene of the crime."

.

.

Megani piloted as Tali and Machias sat in the crew chamber. "It's odd," Megani called back from the pilot's seat. "I expected more turbulence as we descend, but the weather conditions are extremely calm. Unusually so, considering the cloud cover."

"Good. Scan for any traces of quarian tech. In fact, see if you can find any other trace of advanced intelligent life here." Machias laid back in his seat, closing his eyes. He could feel Tali'Zorah looking at him and smiled. "What's on your mind, Tali?"

"Oh! Well, uh...you are not...exactly what I pictured."

"I expect not. Anything in particular, besides being an ugly human?"

"I never said anything of the sort!"

"So you don't think I'm unattractive?" Machias inquired.

"I...are you playing with me?" she said indignantly.

"Not in the least. Just trying to understand standards of beauty."

"I don't follow."

"I've been doing a lot of reading up on the major races, their differences and their similarities. Until they joined the galactic community, all they had was their own race to say who looks attractive and who doesn't. It's hard to get my head around...until a few months ago, my viewpoint was sorely limited."

"Oh?" Tali settled back in her chair. "What have you learned?"

"Plenty of things have changed. An all-female race that's able to have kids with anyone? A race that can get sick so easily, they live out their lives in suits? Keep in mind, that with my line of work, the unusual is pretty much usual for me."

"Well, Machias...when appearances are different, one must rely upon the things that are not. Strength. Compassion. Courage. The kinds of qualities that attract people, regardless of race."

"Hey back there!" Megani called out over the engines. "I think I've found what we're looking for..." She had more to say, but the shuttle suddenly jumping and tumbling about like a leaf in a hurricane robbed her of what else she had to say. Tali'Zorah had been in far too many ship emergencies to be caught flat-footed by something like that, and strapped herself in fast. Mac had been strapped in already, but only because he didn't feel comfortable "flying around in a tin can". "We're caught in some kind of freak storm!" Megani called out. "Prepare for an emergency landing!"

Machias grabbed the armrests tight. "My kingdom for a HORSE!" he yelled as they came down,

The shuttle, thanks to Megani's expert piloting, landed right-side up and only bounced twice before skidding to a stop and half-burying itself in the side of a hill. A few minutes later, the wind died down and was gone.

Machias opened his eyes. "Sound off if you ain't dead," he asked dryly.

"I'm okay," Tali'Zorah said, getting to her feet.

"Likewise," Megani said, her omnitool activating. After a few moments, she nodded. "The shuttle is going to need some repairs before it'll be airworthy again...not to mention a few dozen people digging it out first."

"Can we get out of here?" Machias asked, removing the straps and standing up, stumbling slightly but managing not to run into Tali, for which he was grateful. He didn't want to know what a misguided hex would do to her suit.

Megani tapped her omnitool. "Control systems are out, the shuttle doesn't think we have authorization to open it."

Machias was already in a sour mood; crashing had that effect on him. He pulled out one of his managuns and said in a gravelly voice, "VI VENTI…!" The etchings on the gun turned a deep amber as he aimed at the door and fired. The noise created by the blast was drowned out by the sound of the shuttle doors being blasted open.

Machias walked to the door opening. "Authorized," he said simply, then jumped from the doorway to the ground below.

Megani shrugged. Machias may have had an old-fashioned way of dealing with things, but no one could argue with the results. "As I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, I found the wreckage of the Rayya, as well as energy sources around it. Looks like the survivors built a small city...and there are definitely high concentrations of energy using quarian tech."

"Any signs of other technology?" Machias asked. He was starting to get the hang of knowing what questions to ask, even though he didn't understand the answers half the time without further explanations.

"None native. No indications of any culture or developed communities either. They either died out on their own…"

"Or something helped them along." He turned to Tali. "Your suit all right?"

"It is strong and well made. It'll take more than a crash to compromise it," she added, a hint of pride in her voice.

Machias nodded, understanding. For quarians, their environmental suits were also a matter of style and craftsmanship. Tali must've built her own, made it to last. "Well, come on, we got some walkin' to do." He pointed to the far-off community. "And I got a feelin' the reason for the unwelcoming storm is also right there, too."

"I've waited too long already to find out what happened." Tali'Zorah strode off towards the city. Machias and Megani looked at each other, then followed.

.

.

As they walked, untamed plains and meadows gave way to farms and buildings. Sure enough, the people working in the fields were all quarians, still in their environment suits. Megani was scanning the area with her omnitool, but Tali didn't need any scanners to note something was different about the quarians there. They seemed...cowed, turning away from the three of them as they walked towards the center of the small city. "They are...afraid of something."

"Yeah...and five'll get you ten I know why." Machias looked around. "Think about it, all the systems going haywire at once. All the failsafes failing at the same time. This wasn't sabotage. I think one of your people got close enough to a planet who was part of a prisi'lai bloodline, and it awakened power inside him. A lot of it...and that quarian let it get away from him."

"So he did this on PURPOSE?" Tali said a little too loudly to be friendly.

"Easy, Tali. He likely reacted by instinct, but magic and instinct isn't kind to anything above a certain technological complexity. It took out what kept the ship going, but from the looks of things, this prisi'lai might've actually tried to save the quarians on the Rayya."

"If this quarian was so helpful and benevolent...why are all these other quarians afraid?"

Machias frowned. "I don't know...but I'm going to find out. When it comes to magic, never believe what you see at first glance. For example, that's a telling sign." He pointed ahead to the wall around the city. "Look at how high it is...twenty feet, at least."

Megani looked at the wall, then back at the quarians working in the fields. "I think I see what you mean. Look at the quarians. They're all male. They're all armed and the farms have places to sleep at night. Where are all the females? For that matter, where are all the children?"

Tali looked at the walls again. "The wall's not meant to keep enemies out...it's meant to keep people IN," said in realization. And with that knowledge came a measure of horror.

"Let me do the talking," Machias suggested. "I'm going to need a closer look at this quarian, this prisi'lai."

"Then if you want to get closer, let ME do the talking," Tali insisted. "I think I know how this prisi'lai might think a little better. But I need you to do something for me, Mac. Can you give me the means to pass for someone like him?"

Machias considered, then moved her behind a building, gesturing Megani to follow. "All right. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you both glamours."

Megani chuckled. "Now is hardly the time for makeup and expensive clothes, Mac."

"What? No, a glamour is like a...magical disguise. I'm going to give you both the appearance of people with magical power, and disguise my own, make it look like I'm your lackey."

"ACTUALLY, the proper term is 'heera'," Tali corrected, the visor hiding her smile well.

"Heera. Okay, let me get these glamours fixed…"

.

.

Prince Seefah was in a particularly good mood today.

His people were being very cooperative, as usual. The Planting Season was almost done, and with the Harvest Celebration upcoming, he was looking forward to adding new heeras to his collection. He'd always stuck to his own rules regarding their choosing: none under birthing age, no more than four per season and, most importantly, no cheating on the Lottery. After all, the parents were never as gratified as they should have been at the idea of their daughter potentially becoming the heir of a prisi'lai, gaining a heritage of power and command.

Why weren't they more appreciative? Seefah never could understand it, not since the day the Rayya came to this planet and his destiny had been revealed to him. This place would be the NEW Rannoch. He would bend the planet to his will, make it safe for his people. He'd already learned how to make certain areas germ and microbe-free, safe for quarians to live without needing suits. It took some practice, some trial and error, but he only used the OLD quarians for the testing...and a few seditious voices, but sacrifices had to be made. And it paid off, after all, more than three-quarters of his city were completely disease-free. He still allowed some areas to require suits, so that his people would better appreciate his efforts.

He walked out onto the balcony and looked at his people, down below, then past the wall and…

Wait.

He picked up a pair of visionmag goggles and saw something, people walking towards his main gates. A quarian female...and two aliens, one asari, one HUMAN!

Seefah's mind spun within his skull as he recognized the suit belonging to the quarian. The Zorah family colors. He racked his brain, trying to remember what part of the ship he'd last seen her in...wait. The labs. That part broke away from the Rayya, landed several hundred kilometers away. If she is prisi'lai ALSO…!

He put the goggles away and opened his mind, using the catechi, the spirit eyes. What they told him spoke volumes. The Zorah girl was a powerful prisi'lai, no question. The asari had some magical power, but not as much as the quarian. The human had no power at all, but that hardly came as a surprise to Seefah. Humans were barely sentient enough to command their own ships without crashing into things. He must be the quarian's heera, and the asari must be as well, since prisi'lai don't share. He smiled. This could be a golden opportunity. Add the other prisi'lai to his collection, wouldn't take much, just a few drops of extracts from some of the native flora, make her easier to control…

Just have to play it kind and hospitable, at first. Don't want to spook her. Play the right motivations, get her to drop her guard...and keep my own up in case she tries to pull the same trick on ME. Who knows what vile, treacherous things she's thinking RIGHT NOW…?

.

.

Tali looked down at herself. "I look like some sort of shiny ornament...and I feel stupid."

"Hey, remember the plan. We talk with him, find out what he's like and if he's really in charge or if someone's pulling his strings," Megani whispered. "Then we use the element of surprise, confuse him, and let Machias do what he does best." Megani looked down at herself. "I think I look rather nice."

"Remember, Megs, act subservient to Tali," Machias reminded her.

"Don't worry, Mac, we've been over our stories since we got disguised. We'll be fine."

"Was this a large part of your old job, Machias?" Tali whispered back.

"Anything to avoid getting other people hurt. Until this is handled, we're walking into a city full of hostages." He looked around as they reached the door to the city. "Walk slow, like you've got all the time in the world. I need to look around and check the auras here."

"Mac?"

"Yes?" he whispered back to Megani.

"Calm yourself."

Machias sighed. "Will do."

.

.

The gates to the city swung inwards slowly, and Tali noted with hidden outrage that the people there were mostly female, with some males there to act as peacekeepers. It was something that a CHILD would come up with. A petulant, spoiled child.

As if on cue, she turned to a nearby wall, where some sort of poster had been placed. It showed quarian silhouettes under a dome, and above the illustration, quarian text that read: "SEEFAH PROTECTS YOUR FUTURE!" Another one, this one with a quarian logo that looked like three interlocking chevrons, said, "KEEP YOUR FAMILIES SAFE; THE LAWS ARE THERE FOR YOUR PROTECTION AND PROSPERITY."

"SOMEBODY'S fond of using propaganda…" Megani said idly, looking around.

"This is not the way of a quarian…" She looked up as she saw a group of quarian guards approaching. "Heads up."

The guards moved out to surround the three newcomers, then the path opened ahead of them to show a quarian male in a red envirosuit walking with a slight swagger to his pace. "Honored guests! Welcome to my humble city."

Tali took to the role quickly. "'Humble', you say? My, aren't WE modest, Seefah."

He stopped, then acted as if he just recognized her. The act wasn't very convincing. "Tali'Zorah...I should've known that, out of all the people on the Rayya, you'd have the same abilities I do. Even if they aren't equal to mine." He looked over Megani and Machias. "I don't recall us having any guests on the Rayya…"

"They were part of a survey team that came looking for the ship. Scavengers looking to sell scrap. The asari and I see eye-to-eye on many things, including the treatment of my heera. So, we work together. She provides training and I provide protection and companionship in return."

"Training, huh?" Megani didn't like the way Seefah was looking at her. "Well, as it turns out, I have a lot of natural talent to rely on, as you can see by the way my people are healthy and happy."

While Tali was keeping Seefah occupied, Machias was using the Sight to look over the city. What he found didn't make him smile. Not only did their auras suggest they were miserable, a collection of auras in the tower at the center of two suggested a gathering of other quarians...and Machias had a pretty good idea why.

"Yes...I can 'see' that," Tali said, somewhat imperious in her mood. Megani had to resist the urge to smile. Tali was clearly milking this for all it was worth. "Well, I hope the ancient ways of hospitality have not been forgotten."

"Of course not," Seefah said, trying to hide his displeasure. He had expected them to give up and kowtow long before now. Don't these people see how much more powerful I am? Well, if they can't learn except by the hard way… "Come, your visit was unexpected, but I'm sure I can find quarters suitable to ones of your stature. Your heera will be allowed to stay with mine, of course. Has he been trained?"

"Do not worry." Tali tried not to giggle. "He knows all too well what the punishment is for performing when not commanded. I will, of course, require use of him later."

"Excellent. I shall instruct the food preparers to surpass themselves. Please, rest, join me in four hours. We have much to discuss."

Machias watched the interchange and got the distinct feeling he and Tali were going to have a few words exchanged later as a guard escorted Machias away As Seefah walked with Megani and Tali towards better quarters, he sent a message by omnitool to Warsji, the captain of the guard, to pass on to Neeri: "Seduce the male human yet to be quartered with you. I want some leverage over my guests."

.

.

Warsji delivered the message, but Neeri, the head heera of Seefah's collection, wasn't treating it like it was good news. She looked around at the other female quarians in the large chamber. All were chosen for their physical beauty, but Neeri was the most attractive and disciplined, and was also gifted with a strong tolerance for the things Seefah wanted her to do, but the news made her furious! Who does that...bashi-bazouk think he is? Thinking I'll spread my legs for any humanoid? The NERVE of that son-of-a-parasite-ridden-malformed-PYJAK! Well, there is no way on this planet or any other that I'll submit to that! Besides, I've seen humans before...brutish, uncouth, rude...with my luck, he's probably also fat and UGLY, too!

The door opened and Neeri turned. Then she stared.

Machias came in, then saw what quarian females looked like when they weren't wearing their suits...or much else, for that matter. He shut his eyes and turned around. "Excuse me, ladies...but would you kindly put some clothes on?"

Neeri walked closer. Definitely not fat...and definitely not ugly, even considering he WAS human. "Why are you here, human?"

"Oh, I'm a 'heera', whatever that is...I got the impression it means 'servant'...and I gotta say, I don't like the smile that brung to your face."

"In your tongue, human, 'heera' means 'sex slave'."

Machias stood there for a few moments. "...what?"

"You didn't know?" Neeri blinked, stifling laughter.

"I'm afraid the job description lacked that little detail." He rubbed his face with his hands.

"Hmmmmm….turn around, let us look at you."

"Are you all dressed?" Machias asked cautiously.

"Is that important?" one of the other quarians asked, brought out of her bored, drudging existence by the entrance of something new that wasn't Seefah.

"Hell's fire, YES!" Machias blushed. "Where I come from, I don't see that much of anyone unless we're a whole lot better acquainted…!" Machias slowly turned to see nine quarian females walking towards him.

"Well, then...let's get better acquainted." Neeri smiled.

"Look, hold it. Hold yer horses. Look, I'll make you a deal. If you all just...sit down and let's talk a bit, I guarantee that, by dinnertime, you won't regret it. Covering up is mandatory."

"Very well."

Machias turned to look, then spun back around. "Above...AND below," he said tersely.

"Well, you should've been more specific, human." Neeri suddenly felt like smiling, instead of just showing a smile like a mask, for the first time in years.

.

.

"All right, Tali...what do you think?"

"I think we're in trouble. I remember Seefah. He was a child when this happened." Tali rubbed the chin of her visor. "Machias was right. He probably didn't want this to happen, but he finds himself possessing all kinds of power and no self-restraint? Of course he's going to grow up to be a monster. Parents dead...power of a prisi'lai? Probably was scared until someone else found a way to use him, give him orders."

Megani nodded. "Until the day came when he became smart enough to wonder why he was STILL taking orders. The old king lost control, enter the new king. You see this sort of thing often in gang mentalities. So Seefah takes over, gets power, finds he likes it and chooses to enforce it. But there's no one around who can punish him for his bad behaviour. They try and he….does things to them."

"So what do we do?" Tali asked.

"Trust Machias."

Tali nodded. "What will he do?"

Megani smiled. "Something AMAZING."

.

.

Neeri was in complete ecstasy.

She had no idea what Machias was doing to her and she didn't care. All she wanted him to do was to keep doing it forever. Four of the other quarians were passed out, or as close to it as they could get, on the rugs on the floor and the other four were watching, wondering how in the world Machias could elicit such sounds from them with his hands and the way he touched their bodies. Neeri could barely breathe. NOTHING Seefah had ever done had ever made her feel like that.

When Machias was done, Neeri could only look up at him in disbelief. She couldn't move. Every muscle was limp. "How…did you...learn to...DO such things…?"

"Practiced with people I was partnered up with. You cannot believe how knotted up a person can get from riding fast and hard chasing after fugitives, but I ain't NEVER seen anyone who needed a deep tissue massage the way you all do. Lord-a-MIGHTY."

"Tell us more about this 'massage'. It is not something quarians do." One of the quarians he'd yet to help crawled closer.

"Not a real mystery why. You can't exactly get the right treatment through envirosuits, can you?" He took the bottle of oil he was using and put it aside. "Okay, Neeri, you're done."

"Can't...move. Don't...want to."

"That just means I did it right. You, what's your name?"

"Ashala," she said with a smile.

"Move over here, you know the drill. So, all of you used to be engineers and scientists on the Rayya?"

"Yes. before the crash, before our worth was reduced to...masses of flesh for the sole purpose of providing pleasure to a tyrant." Ashala frowned. "Yes, he gave us protection from the hazards of this world, even from disease itself...and all it cost us was our reasons for wanting to live. I would rather be sick for a month than stay in Seefah's presence for a DAY."

"Yeah, you got a lot of stress built up here, Ashala. Hang on...let's see...how about...THERE."

Ashala's head jerked up, her eyes rolling up in her head, the only sound coming from her mouth was a loud, "KEELAH!"

"Yeah...look, remember, I'm supposed to be a 'heera' so don't let on that I'm not, you know…"

Neeri turned her head slowly to look at him. "Machias, whatever you say is completely and perfectly acceptable by us. Besides...considering what you're doing for us...if you offered us a choice between sex...and this….knowing what we do now...I think we would've picked this anyways..."

"Good. Ashala, are you all right?"

"STOP...AND I'LL KILL YOU…"

Machias blinked. "Blazes, you needed this more than I thought."

.

.

Seefah smiled. It had been hours, and he knew no one could've resisted Neeri's charms. As he made his way to meet Tali and Megani, he checked in with the guards. "So, was Neeri successful?" he asked, thinking about how Tali'Zorah would squirm at the idea of her heera stolen away from her.

"Yes, prisi'lai. They ALL were."

Seefah stopped. "Only Neeri was commanded to seduce him."

"It sounded like she wasn't enough. We heard all these animal like sounds and screams. We'd NEVER heard them sound like that before. We came in to find the human...DOING something to them each in turn. After he was done with each one, they were exhausted and smiling, every single one."

Seefah's voice grew hard. "ALL of them?"

"Yes. When it was done, the human said he was somewhat tired and asked for a great deal of water. The quarian females were all worn out, and were unable to continue."

Seefah ground his teeth together. "SAY NOTHING OF THIS TO ANYONE. Do you hear me? If this gets out, I will have you both punished severely!" He turned off the omnitool as he approached the dining hall. How could this have happened? I could've turned this around on her, but if she finds out what happened, that this human was able to do what I could NOT...NO. I must find another way to get leverage on her.

He collected himself and opened the doors to the hall, seeing Megani and Tali sitting there, looking bemused as they both turned to look from each other to Seefah at the same time. "Well now...what shall we talk about?"

"The prisi'lai," Tali said with a smile. "I think it's time you really need to consider relinquishing control. I've been looking around at what you're doing. Instead of promoting growth, you're stifling it. The time of the prisi'lai is long past, at least when it comes to their place in modern culture. Really...look around you. These people follow you out of fear, and nothing more. None of them here would follow you out of loyalty. You've split up families. You've indulged yourself like a child, and in doing so, destroyed the sanctity of the life that is the source of your power." Tali remembered the words Machias told her to repeat, keeping an eye out for his responses. "Look at you. As you are, your link to this world's power is being corrupted. You probably couldn't beat my heera in one-on-one combat."

Seefah stood up, leaning towards Tali, fists on the table. "You come into MY domain, challenge my power, all while abusing the rules of hospitality?"

"Don't play the wounded host with me, Seefah. Your motives couldn't be plainer to me than they would if you'd painted them in twenty-meter high letters on the outside of your Wall. Where did you put the potion to subvert our reason? The food? The drink?" Tali was really started to feel the part, and could see that Seefah was more uncertain now. "Oh, try not to insult me by thinking me as gullible as your other pawns. Unlike you, I've had the benefit of a mentor." Tali turned to Megani, who was doing a rather impressive job of looking mysterious. "Someone who can provide knowledge and training."

Seefah glared at Tali, who was suddenly glad she had a tinted visor. "What are you proposing?"

"A duel. You and my heera. You win, and my mentor will give you training to harness your power."

"And if I lose?"

"You submit yourself to judgment for the things you've done, by someone trained to recognize and use magic."

Seefah turned to Megani, who nodded as Seefah faced her. He smiled. "Very well. I agree."

"We can be prepared within the hour. Prepare yourself." Tali'Zorah tried to make herself sound as imposing as possible. "I do not tolerate weakness around me, and though he is my heera, he is no weakling. Do not underestimate him."

Seefah sneered. "He's a HUMAN. Just because you beat him don't mean he's strong."

Tali stood up. "I will remember your words. Come along, Meg," she added as she spun on her heel and left the room.

.

.

As soon as they reached their room, Tali said down, her whole body trembling. "I cannot believe I did what I just did!" she whispered, not knowing if there were any listening devices around.

"You did very well, Tali."

She nodded. "Now what?"

Megani sighed. "Now we find out if Machias is clever...or insane. Or both."

"But aren't we worrying over nothing? Machias will win, of course."

"Tali, Seefah has been here for years, and Machias has been here barely a day. Seefah will likely make this quick, which means he'll be throwing everything he's got at Mac. Mac may know tactics, but he may find himself outmatched in the face of overwhelming force. Plus, Machias wouldn't try to kill Seefah. Seefah is under no such restraint."

"So….you're saying there's a chance…?"

"That we might end up spending time in Seefah's collection?" Megani shook her head. "Well, you have to admit, working for Machias does make things interesting, doesn't it?"

"One hour." Tali sighed. "Too much time to wait, and yet too little."

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	10. Chapter 10

Of Citadels And Castles, Part X: Meet The New Boss…

**.**

By C. Mage

**.**

.

Seefah rose from his bed, feeling confident and assured of victory. Since the crash, he'd faced all sorts of tests and challenges to his sovereignty, and each time, all of his obstacles had been crushed. His opponents, attempted escapes of the citizens, even attempts to assassinate him.

Not one of them had prevailed. He smiled as he donned his royal tabard. _This human will be no different. But who knows? He might even be some small measure of a challenge. It's been a while before I was in the company of someone who could be worthy of exerting any real effort. And once I have rid my world of this upstart...Tali and Megani will both be mine. Pleasant company...or else._

Seefah found himself smiling at the concept of making the "or else" part come to pass.

Tali, for her part, was worried, and no manner of reassurance from Megani could make that go away completely. Even seeing Machias in fighting form did not remove doubt. How could a wizard who would not kill face someone all-too willing to take life and win?

Tali hugged her legs to her chest and thought about the consequences of Machias losing. _Did Machias normally play for stakes this high? And if he did…?_

She suddenly wished Machias was the kind of _prisi'lai_ who settled for games of chance where so many lives didn't hang in the balance. Machias was gambling with his own life, too, so he must've known what he was doing. Tali didn't need to be a _prisi'lai_ to figure out what Seefah would do if he won.

She wondered if there were any cliffs nearby...and how much it would hurt if she jumped from their edge.

Machias had already been up, rising just before dawn, as was his usual custom. He sat in the combat arena set aside for the contest, sitting cross-legged, his medicine bag at his side, his eyes closed. The magic of this world mystified him no end, and he had spent two hours communing with it, reaching out to its mana and learning more about the ebb and flow.

As he explored this world, he finally reached a new planar state. It wasn't as physical as the Nevernever, but it was unbelievably complex to navigate, like trying to walk through a world made of emotional states.

_Using magic is going be interesting here. There's no denying it; there's a presence here, but it's not something I can point to...wait. Maybe that's the problem. I'm trying too hard to travel where I need to go. Maybe I'm already where I need to be. I just need to reach out and...oh._

_Well...how do you do?_

* * *

Seefah strode out through the crowd, his warriors one either side of his path, making sure the path was cleared for him. He strode purposefully towards the arena to find Machias was already there, in a relaxed state, sitting with his eyes closed. Seefah snorted. "Human, you should know better than to go to a field of battle and go to sleep!"

Machias' eyes opened. "Well, good morning to you, too. You know, we don't have to fight. There's still time to discuss terms for surrender."

"You're absolutely right. My terms are simple. You, and the _prisi'lai_ you serve submit to me fully and become _heera_, and I might find some use for you that won't involve cleaning out waste matter."

"Uh...sorry, pardner, I was referring to the terms of YOUR surrender. If you surrender, I can promise leniency for the things you've done, and provide you with protection during your sentence."

Seefah stared at him, then began to laugh, a nasty tone in it that made many of the quarians around the arena cringe. "MY surrender? Maybe we should postpone the combat, since you seem to be running a high fever!"

"This is your last chance, Seefah. Give it up." Megani watched Machias, looking at his eyes. She began to worry when she couldn't seem to see any real life in his eyes...they looked...dead.

Seefah snarled, "Defend yourself...if you CAN!" He raised his staff and slammed it into the earth, a crack opening in the ground. One end stayed where it was, but the crack opened further, splitting open with one end of the split racing towards Machias. The ground under him yawned open and he fell in, but he didn't seem all that troubled when he fell. Seefah clapped his hands together and the ground closed over him.

Seefah smiled cruelly as he looked at the mound of dirt over where Machias used to be. Then he heard a gasp from the crowd, and, figuring that it was about what he'd done, he turned and raised his arms triumphantly.

"Well, brand me for a longhorn...I don't look too good." Seefah spun around, seeing Machias bending over the mound curiously. Machias shook his head, then looked over at Seefah. "I think using magic against people unable to defend themselves has dulled your senses. You missed me by a mile."

"YOU…!" Seefah raised a hand and held it up, his palm facing Machias. Shards of ice appeared and flew like diving birds of prey towards Machias. The sharp spears streaked past Machias, missing him by inches, their paths seeming to curve around him as they flew.

"Missed again. Want me to move closer, because I think your sights are off."

"MISERABLE…!" Seefah raised his hands to the sky, and a column of fire streaked down from a clear sky. The pillar of flame struck where Machias stood, the heat of the attack causing the quarians closest to the arena to step backwards, the force of the heat almost physical in its intensity. Tali cried out in fear with the rest of the quarians, unable to suppress her dismay. When the fire burned itself out, there was nothing left but a smoking crater ten feet wide.

Seefah stood there, breathing heavily for a moment, then he felt a tap-tap-tap on his shoulder. He turned around and Machias was standing there, nose-to-visor with him. "Better kick some dirt over that brush fire," Machias said dryly, then hit Seefah, but not with a spell. He'd pulled back his arm and drove a fist like a cannonball into his stomach at an upwards angle. The blow knocked the wind out of an already-stressed body, leaving Seefah gasping for breath as if he'd just sprinted through a marathon.

He fell to the ground as Machias said aloud, turning slowly, "I hope you're watching this...because this is what he chooses to use the gift you gave him. This is what I told you about...so what are you going to do about it?" he said aloud, but not to anyone in particular.

Seefah pulled himself to his feet, swaying slightly. He initially wanted to ask Machias what he was talking about, then realized that the human was facing away from him. He readied his most vicious spell, knowing Machias would never see it coming.

And he didn't...because nothing happened.

Seefah blinked, then tried to use the spell again. He performed the gestures correctly, he knew he wasn't doing anything different from the last twenty times he'd used the spell. The spell refused to manifest in any way.

Machias was facing him by now. "Sorry, Seefah...but now you're all hat and no cattle."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"

"Don't blame me. Blame your 'silent partner'. I showed it what you were doing and what laws you were breaking, and it realized that you'd been flimflamming it this whole time about what right and wrong truly was. And pardner, it ain't happy at being made a fool."

"What are you talking about?!" Seefah demanded...and that's when the earthquake started.

Everyone looked around wildly as the earth began to tremble, then a part of the ground began to churn like thick liquid. Before the shocked eyes of the entire population, a figure seemed to grow from the ground, taking the shape of a male quarian, suit and all, made of dirt and stone. It continued to grow in size until it was a full ten meters high, and then some, towering over the two combatants.

As the rumbling, Seefah fell backwards, landing on his rear, staring up at the figure in terror. "WHAT…?"

"Oh, seems you two haven't been properly introduced. Seefah, gentle quarians...this is Aeia. Now, I bet you're wondering what Aeia is. Well, you're standing on it. Aeia is the planet itself."

Some of the quarian elders stepped closer, cautiously. "It named itself after the planet?" One of them, Elder Jura, asked carefully.

"No. It IS the planet. Turns out that the planet is one gigantic living being. Everything on the planet is linked to it and is a part of it, one entity." He held up his hands to quiet the responses from the crowd. "I know, I know, threw me for a loop when I figured it out myself. But the last few weeks...I have to say, my definition of the word 'unbelievable' has been taking a beating." He turned to the figure. "Would you mind shrinking down to my size? You're scaring them."

The figure nodded and began to shrink as Jura said, more confidently, "So Seefah's power….came from this 'Aeia'? Then why would Aeia condone what Seefah has done to us?"

Machias turned to the now two-meter tall avatar. "Want me to tell them?"

"NO. WE SHALL SPEAK FOR OURSELVES, NOW THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT US TO DO SO." The figure turned to Jura and the elders. "FOR UNCOUNTED PERIODS OF TIME, WE HAD NO SAPIENT BEINGS HERE. THEY WERE NOT NEEDED, SINCE ALL LIVED IN HARMONY. THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS LIVED OUT THEIR CYCLES, AND WE SAW NO NEED TO EVOLVE. WE WERE CONTENT WITH SIMPLY BEING. AND THEN, YOU CAME. WE SAW YOU. WE DID NOT KNOW OF YOUR KIND, OR ANY OTHER KIND, AND NEVER PURSUED LOOKING BEYOND US. WE REACHED OUT TO YOU, AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE SEEFAH-BEING." It bowed its head. "WE DID NOT KNOW OUR TOUCH WOULD CAUSE YOUR SHIP TO NOT-WORK. WHEN WE REALIZED WHAT WE HAD DONE, WE FELT A DEEP SADNESS AT OUR ACTIONS, AND SOUGHT TO HELP YOU BY GIVING YOU POWER. ONLY THE SEEFAH-BEING WAS ABLE TO HARNESS THIS POWER."

Aeia looked to Seefah, the great tone turning harsher. "WE SAW WHAT HE HAD DONE TO HIS PEOPLE, AND THROUGH HIS MIND, WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE THAT HIS RULE AND ACTIONS WERE JUSTIFIED. WE KNEW NOTHING OF MORALITY AND ETHICS...UNTIL WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE MACHIAS-WIZARD. THROUGH HIM, WE LEARNED, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, TRULY UNDERSTOOD. HE TOLD US OF HIS PLAN, TO PROVE THAT THE SEEFAH-BEING COULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE THE POWER TO DO WRONG. WE WATCHED AS THE MACHIAS-WIZARD SHOWED RESTRAINT, MERCY, AND CHOSE NOT TO USE OUR POWER TO DO WRONG. WE FELT YOUR FEELINGS...AND WE REGRET OUR ACTIONS."

Aeia took a step towards Seefah. "YOU HAVE LIED TO US. YOU HAVE BETRAYED LIFE ITSELF. YOU HAVE CAUSE PAIN AND MISERY AND DEATH. IF WE HAD THE CHOICE, WE WOULD BURY YOU IN STONE AND KEEP YOU ALIVE FOREVER...BUT WE HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT JUSTICE IS NOT OURS TO TAKE. WE HAVE REVOKED THE SEEFAH-BEING'S LINK TO US. HE WILL NEVER HAVE HIS POWER AGAIN." Aeia turned to regard Machias. "WE HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH THE CONCEPT OF 'JUSTICE'. IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIND IT FOR YOURSELVES...BUT KNOW THIS: NEVER AGAIN WILL WE ALLOW SUCH CRIMES TO TAKE PLACE HERE. YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE, AND IT WOULD PLEASE US FOR YOU TO STAY, SO WE MAY LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU. I WILL CHANGE MYSELF TO PREVENT SICKNESS AMONGST YOUR KIND, BUT IT WILL BE UP TO YOU TO SURVIVE FROM THIS POINT ON...MACHIAS-WIZARD, YOU HAVE OUR ETERNAL GRATITUDE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT US. IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU, NAME IT AND IT IS DONE."

Some of the quarians looked at other nervously, remembering the tendencies the _prisi'lai_ were prone towards, but Machias shook his head. "As long as you and I are cordial, I'm happy. Never had a whole world as a friend before, so I'd like to talk from time to time."

The avatar nodded, as if Machias had passed some sort of test. "I LEAVE SEEFAH TO YOUR JUDGMENT." The avatar melded back with the ground again, leaving Machias and Seefah alone with Megani, Tali...and nearly a thousand angry quarians.

Megani knew she had to work fast. As she ran out to the arena, waving her hands, she called out "Hold! Before you rip Seefah apart, I ask that you give me a moment to speak! We are owed that much, considering what we've done to help you."

One of the other Elders, Elder Yoria, held up his hand. The crowd settled down instead of surging forward. "What do you propose?"

"A trial. One where Seefah's fate is decided by an informed, but uninvolved, third party. Let him be judged by his actions and sentenced fairly...unless your families want to bear the shame of lynching him."

"Go ahead! Let them try to kill me, like the animals they are!" Seefah crowed. "Let my blood be on their hands! I dare you all!" He started to move forward, then felt a hand on his neck.

He turned his head to see Tali staring him down. "Do not TEMPT me, Seefah. In fact...I agree with Dr. Y'Kasia. And Machias should be the judge. After all, he's not a quarian, and is trained to make judgments when it comes to people like Seefah. He's the only one here capable of being impartial."

The Elders turned to each other, then nodded. "Very well. How shall we proceed...forgive me," Yori said with a hint of embarrassment, "but I don't know the proper name for what you are. Aeia called you a 'Wizard'?"

"In my professional capacity, I am called a 'Marshal', so 'Marshal Castle' will be appropriate."

"Thank you. Marshal Castle, how are criminals like Seefah prosecuted by Marshals?"

"From what I know of your justice system, quarians and Marshals are similar in that they aren't burdened with legal tricks and technicalities. So we keep it simple. In fact, we can start today."

"Excellent. We shall make the necessary preparations."

As the elders left, Megani and Tali walked over. "So, Mac...going to tell us how you did it?" Megani grinned. "That is, if you don't mind revealing your tricks. How did you keep from being obliterated?"

Machias chuckled. "Because none of his attacks came close to hitting me. I used glamours on a few rocks to give Seefah targets to hit, while I used this to make sure he couldn't hit me." He held up a vial half-filled with a glittering blue liquid.

"What is that?" Tali asked, somewhat mesmerized by the shining contents.

"Potion of invisibility. Took enough to make me invisible for a few minutes. I was relieved to see it still worked, Been a few years since it was made and I had to guess at the dosage." He put it away. "Worth the risk. So...let's get this over with."

"The trial is pretty much a moot point, Mac. You know that, correct?" Megani looked at Machias with a resigned expression on her face.

"Has to be done...besides, it'll give me time to come up with his punishment."

"We already KNOW what his punishment should be," Tali said bitterly.

"Maybe...but I try not to break laws to uphold laws."

* * *

Machias rose as he looked out over the throng of quarians, every single one of them condemning Q for the pain and misery he had visited on them during his reign. What made it even worse was that Seefah didn't even seem affected by it, as if he was watching the trial happening to someone else. If anything, he seemed to find the entire proceedings amusing. Even though Machias couldn't see his face, his body language practically shouted his contempt.

Machias knew that there were not going to be very many happy faces in the crowd when he was done. "Order in the court!" he said firmly, quieting the murmurings. "Will the defendant rise for the verdict?"

Seefah rose, moving his hands behind his back.

"I have listened to a veritable parade of witnesses testifying your guilt and your culpability in more crimes than I could count without exploding in rage doing so. You have forsaken every rule of law and every code of conduct becoming that of a sane, intelligent being. In fact, it is the malevolence of your crimes which brings me to the difficulty of the decision I need to make." Machias fixed Seefah with the gaze of a hanging judge. "The enormity and the viciousness of your crimes warrant death, many times over."

The triumphant cry from the quarians was almost physical in its intensity. Megani worried, preparing herself to move in case there was a riot.

"ORDER IN THE COURT!" Machias bellowed. "I'M NOT FINISHED!" He waited until the tumult had died down,which didn't take long at all. Machias cleared his throat and went on. "However…"

This time the crowd ROARED. Machias called for order three times before the noise was stopped, and even then, the assembly was surrounded by a cloud of angry mutterings.

"HOWEVER...it is the judgment of this court that the sentence of death is to be commuted, for two reasons. One, killing him would be vengeance, not justice. There has been far too much blood spilled as it is without compounding the crimes by spilling more. And two...death is far too good a fate for Seefah. In times of such crimes like this, the Marshals found that exile, not death, was a far better punishment, one more suited to what happened here. I'm going to see to it that he will never bother you ever again.

The crowd was not convinced, and it showed as they turned to each other, conversing about the decision.

"Listen. I know that today, you aren't satisfied with my decision. You can say it, I won't be offended. But consider this. Seefah was a low-ranking quarian on his ship. Due to his immaturity, he wasn't given the chance to rise above it and know what it meant to have both power and responsibility. Then, one day, he received power, but without the effort and discipline to attain it or use it wisely. Can any of you honestly say that, put in his position, that you wouldn't be so tempted? Did any of you during your time here on this world not think what you'd do if you had the power to fight back? Think about that now...and ask yourselves if you would be proud to tell me what it would be."

The angry mutterings quieted considerably, slowly becoming even more reserved as the quarians were shamed by their own thoughts.

"You choose. Will you abide by my decision...or will you become that which you despise?"

No one moved for a time that felt much longer than it was...then the quarians began to leave the assembly in ones, twos, then small groups. Finally, Machias was alone in the court with Seefah, Megani and Tali.

Megani smiled. Tali was trying not to show how awed she was at how the quarians chose the high road rather than tear Seefah to shreds. Seefah, however, was not so impressed. "I suppose I should thank you for not letting that rabble kill me…"

Machias grabbed him by the shoulder. "Time to go."

"How? You have no shuttle, no vehicle, no way of taking me…!"

Both Machias and Seefeh vanished.

* * *

There was a flash in front of Seefah's eyes. By the time he finished his sentenced by saying "...anywhere!", he was certainly SOMEWHERE. He and Machias were standing on a beach overlooking an impossibly blue ocean. Seefah turned to look around, seeing a wide expanse of orange-tan sand separating the ocean from a thick jungle. "What is this place?!" Seefah demanded.

"Your very own island. A few thousand miles from the mainland in any direction. If you REALLY wanted to get back to do anything to your former fellows, I suppose you COULD swim back. Provided the currents aren't against you, the local sea creatures don't want to find out how you taste or you manage to not die of thirst or hunger...I bet you'd only be swimming for….a year. Ten months, if you're a strong swimmer."

"So you're going to strand me here?"

"Oh, it's not a bad place, as prisons go. Plenty of sunlight, no predators, Aeia saw to that. Animals and vegetables you can eat, nothing toxic. The only labor you really need to do is, well, hunting and fishing." He walked to a nearby crate and sat down. "Megani helped me with this. She's really smart. Everything you need to survive for a month on your own, rations, fresh water, shelter, the means to hunt and fish...bow and arrows, fishing tackle. No guns, sorry. Just something called a 'Swiss Army knife.' I don't think you'll need much else. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a cave, or find a source of fresh water on the island. You could have quite calm, uneventful life….until the next storm hits."

"You can't do this to me!"

"Consider yourself lucky. A person who did a FRACTION of the things you did could've ended up in your shoes, only with one day's ration of fresh water and a pistol with one shot in it. And even if you do decide to end it all, well, Aeia's going to be keeping an eye on you, make sure you don't starve or die of thirst. Try and you'll stay alive, although you won't be exactly thrilled about it."

"But I'll be alone here! You don't know what that's like, living among other quarians all the time, always around others, you don't know what that will do to me!"

Machias smiled, and Seefah felt his stomach drop into a bottomless pit. The Wizard DID know.

And with that, Machias was gone long before Seefah's scream of futility filled the empty skies above him.

* * *

Machias appeared in front of Megani and Tali. Megani smiled knowingly, but Tali was filled with questions. "You're back! Where is he? Did you hurt him at least a little?"

"He's been put somewhere so no one here will ever have to fear him ever again. I will let the Migrant Fleet know where he is, to make sure he's not picked up by mistake. And no, I didn't hurt him at all. In fact, I left him alone."

"It's more kindness than he deserves…" Tali said grudgingly "All those people…"

"Tali, maybe it's a good thing no one truly gets what they deserve. Now, any idea how long before the Migrant Fleet gets here?"

"A week or two, now that the beacon's up. They were a little hesitant, but when I told them that a _prisi'lai_ made sure they would be safe, they seemed reassured, even eager to come here."

Megani considered, then asked, "EXACTLY how did they react?"

"They asked a great many questions, and listened to the logs, especially the video logs I took of what happened here."

"Machias, I think that you should make sure that, whatever messages you want to convey, you leave them as recordings and leave before the Migrant Fleet arrives." Megani's tone was cautionary, but she had a smug smile on her face that Machias didn't like.

"Why?" Machias asked, having a distinct feeling he should be considerably concerned.

"A culture which deifies certain individuals are likely to want to continue doing so, especially with a culture who have little to claim as their own, even a homeworld. Unless you want some added attention bordering on worship…?"

Machias went pale. "Megani, for the love of God, please tell me how to make recordings. NOW!"

* * *

The next three days were filled with activity, with Machias communing with Aeia and Megani and Tali helping to tear down the oppressive reminders of who controlled the lives of the survivors for seven long years. Machias paused in his connection with Aeia only to attend to necessary bodily functions, but that didn't stop some of the quarians from checking in on him, if only to watch him for a time.

After all, it wasn't often they saw a _prisi'lai_ levitating a few feet above the ground, shining with a faint golden glow.

Finally, Machias came out of his trance and headed back to the colony. It was time to let the Elders know he had to go. The Elders were already assembled outside

For a few minutes, Machias was getting worried that they were going to try to keep him here, but Tali helped considerably. "Elders, Machias will be back, but he has a duty to help others. That is his purpose, his calling. He can no more abandon others than he could us, and we must not prevent him from achieving his destiny."

They grudgingly stood aside as he walked to the improvised shuttlepad with Tali and Megani. As he waved goodbye, he reached out to Aeia and said his goodbyes to it.

After all, when it came to him and the quarians, Aeia literally meant a world to them.

* * *

"SO, Mac, why the trips back and forth in the shuttle for the past few days? You certainly weren't using it yourself."

"Aeia was helping me out with a project. Follow me." He led them to the cargo bays, opening up Bay A2. As the doors opened, they revealed a massive cluster of blue crystals, ten feet wide and almost twenty feet high. It gave off a slight glow as it sat there in the middle of the bay, firmly secured.

"What...where did you get this?" Megani walked around the crystalline structure slowly. Tali didn't speak, mesmerized by the shimmering object.

"Aeia unearthed it. When Aeia and I talked about the nature of magic, the subject of my crystals came up. I let Aeia examine my crystal and asked if it had anything like it. Next thing I know, the ground was shifted and a gigantic chunk was slowly pushed out of the ground. Good thing, too. The purity of enchanted materials is often defined by how they're gathered. And believe me…" He gazed at the top of the crystal. "...having the current owner give it to you like this doesn't get any purer. Aeia compared my crystals and the ones within it...and it says they're identical. The exact same element."

"What does that mean?" Tali asked.

"No clue...but I can't wait to find out. Now come on. We'd better be on our way."

* * *

"Where to next, Machias?" Megani asked after they were back on the bridge of the _Tin Star._

"Although coming here was informative and helpful, we are no closer to finding out more about the Reapers. Also...it's becoming clear that I need a base of operations, and on a planet with an environment. The more lush, the better."

"Aeia wasn't suitable?" Megani asked, curious.

"I need one without intelligent life on it, because the kind of work I want to do could have, well, side-effects. The only life I want to risk is my own."

"I can think of one place." Tali called up the astrogation console and located a single planet. "Here, a planet in the Dakka System. Pragia."

"What makes that place so ideal?"

"It's a jungle planet covered with hypergrowth. If that's not enough life for you, you may need to rethink your standards."

"What's 'hypergrowth'?" Machias took a closer look at the image of the planet on the display.

"About two hundred years ago, batarians tried to turn it into a farming world. But they cut corners with soil assessments and chemical trials." Tali pulled up a list of plant species. "The plants they brought to Pragia, instead of becoming thousands of square kilometers of farmland, mutated and became extremely aggressive. Think about botanical life that can overgrow a colony in days, not years."

"Anyone live there?"

"Not for long. These plants you see marked in red? They're carnivorous. There's not enough herbivorous life there to keep the plants at bay, so the plants will just keep growing until they wear out the soil."

"Hmmm...if nothing else, it'll work as a temporary sanctum. And the variety of plant life will help me find what I need: substitutes for ingredients I can't get anymore. Set us a course for Pragia."

"Right away, Captain! Now….course laid in...we should be there in a few days." Megani nodded. Until then, I think we could use a little rest. I'll have your 'gang' stay on alert status. Let's see how effective they truly are."

"I'm going to stay up for a while. Aeia was nice enough to help me out with the crystal issue; now I need to do some research. Don't worry," Machias said quickly, "nothing that'll explode or anything."

Megani let out the breath she was holding. "Oh, good. I really hadn't put 'Breathe Hard Vacuum' on my list of Things To Do Today and my plate's full as it is. Good night."

"Good night. What about you, Tali?"

"I have some research of my own to perform. I want to make sure I get the calibrations for the engines completed."

Machias blinked. "Uhm, wasn't that done when it was built?"

Tali smiled. "It's never that simple, Machias. There's always a number of adjustments to be made with new systems. Not every ship is made exactly the same, and often need a number of adjustments to work at full efficiency."

"Oh...well, I'm glad you're here, Tali'zorah vas Neema. I may know magic and detecting clues, but when it comes to everything that works here, I don't have the first clue...and I don't think I ever will." he added, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice completely. "I'm sorry, it's not…I just need some time. "

Tali nodded. "Of course, it's just that...that's not my name anymore."

Machias stopped. "It isn't?"

"No." Her voice had a tinge of pride. "It's 'Tali'zorah vas Tin Star', now."

Machias was silent for a few moments, then smiled at last. "Thank you, Tali. I know how much being part of a ship crew means to you, so...thanks."

"The thanks are mine, Machias. Get some rest; I'll keep an eye on things from here."

Machias nodded and left the bridge, his gait a little slower than usual. Tali watched him go, and it struck her that, for all his power and skill, he was still so alone and helpless. He couldn't touch anything technological for fear of destroying it, even on his own ship.

Tali'zorah shook her head. She'd been so dazzled by his skill and magic that she hadn't even considered what being here felt like to him. _Well, then...he needs my help more than ever. And I'm not going to let him down. Never._ Reassured by this new imperative, she went to the engine room to make some refined calculations...and not just to the engines…

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
